Tigereye
by LadyShiin
Summary: KB: A bargain to save her father's life finds Kaoru wed to a man cursed into darkness. But can she learn to love a man whose face she can't even see?
1. Chapter 1

Tigereye is the result of reading too many fairytales recently. Think of it as a mixture of Beauty and the Beast and East of the Sun West of the Moon with bits and pieces of other stuff thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy!

Shiin

Kaoru passed it every morning.

Amid the high glittering buildings of steel and glass it stood out by its sheer uniqueness. A palace. The last that remained in the city after the Revolution when the people had revolted against the tyranny of the Royal Court and risen up as a mob, invading the houses, killing the royals and then burning their palaces to the ground leaving behind nothing but ash so that the city could rise from it with new life and hope not unlike the Phoenix in mythology.

But for some reason this one had been untouched.

Tilting her head she peered through the wrought iron bars in chance that she might catch a glimpse of who lived inside. She never did. The grounds as far as she could tell were well-tended though she never saw a gardener. Or anyone inside it for that matter. If it wasn't for the fact that when she walked home at night there were lights shining from the windows she might have thought it to be deserted.

Someone lived there. Who took care of the palace and if the flowers that grew abundantly were any indication loved it.

Kaoru raised her hand in a wave and then continued on, letting herself slip into the crowds of people and resumed walking home.

The apartment was cold when she entered. It was one of the older apartment complexes built in the years after the Revolution and the heating and cooling spells had long since weakened and worked only periodically and badly at that. Hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter. Kaoru didn't have enough magical expertise or the money to hire someone to fix it and so instead she made a fire in the fire place every morning before leaving to school and stoked it again once she returned.

The fire had long since died out, the ashes cold to the touch and Kaoru grabbed a few sticks of wood, whispered a fire spell to restart it.

"Daddy?" Kaoru turned away from the fire, satisfied it was going well and went down the hall to the room where her father was. The past few years had not been good ones for them. Her mother had caught an illness and died suddenly. A few months later there had been a fight at the dojo her father ran, a student going around injuring people and her father had his hand crushed among other serious injuries The dojo had then been set ablaze.

Kaoru had returned home from school to find only the charred remains of their home and her father in the hospital. What insurance they would have gotten from the loss was quickly eaten up by medical bills and they had managed to find a small apartment to rent. With his hand shattered and his lungs damaged by the fire her father was unable to work and last year had become bedridden.

Kaoru had wanted to go to work but her father had made her promise to go to school. Kaoru had grudgingly agreed but found a small job at a local store and worked there for a bit of extra money, telling her father she was involved in clubs at school when he asked her how she spent her time.

She pushed open the door to find her father sitting up in bed a book cradled between his hands. His hair once thick and black had turned silver, the look in his eyes aged but the smile he gave her was the same warm affectionate one she remembered from her childhood.

"How was school?" He set the book aside and patted the bed beside him.

"It was good. I got an A on a History test." For a moment Kaoru felt like a child again as she sat down beside him and wrapped her arm around his waist, letting him pull her into a hug and breathing in the scent of his cologne.

"That's my girl," her father smiled and Kaoru smiled in return.

"Did you eat anything today?" She murmured.

"I did," he replied.

Kaoru eyed him.

"Most of it anyway. I think you're getting better at cooking."

"Well I'm not setting the kitchen on fire half as much as I used to. That's an improvement." That was more an improvement out of necessity rather than any sort of advancement in skill. The landlord had begun to complain about the explosions and there were not many options open if they were forced to leave.

"It is," her father agreed.

Kaoru dropped a kiss on his forehead. "I'll be in my room doing homework. Just call if you need anything."

Kaoru closed the door behind her and padded as quietly as she could away. She had gotten her homework done during study hall but wasn't about to tell her father that. Instead of doing her homework she was heading to work. Kaoru had the faintest sneaking suspicion that her father knew but as long as he didn't ask her Kaoru didn't have to tell him.

It worked out better that way.

Kaoru slipped out of the house and closed the door silently behind her. It was growing dark, winter was coming and the days were already shortening. She quickened her pace. It'd be bad enough that she would have to walk home in the dark. She didn't want to have to do so on the way to work, not if she could help it.

As she went past the palace she cast a glance over her shoulder to see the lights flickering on and cutting through the quickly growing darkness.

'Thanks,' Kaoru thought and continued onward to the little café she worked at.

It was busy today and Kaoru quickly found herself swept up delivering coffees and teas and the little scones and pastries the café was famous for. She barely had a time to think or pause for breath and before she knew it her hours had been filled for today and it was time to go home as the café began to close up.

She lingered for a half-hour more helping them clean and tidy up.

She almost wished she hadn't as she stepped out of the café. Darkness had fully fallen and even the lights above her head didn't give off as much glow as was needed to brighten it.

With a sigh, Kaoru raked her bangs out of her eyes and started home. No one was around and her steps quickened. The city's crime rate was low but all the same Kaoru had never liked walking home after dark. Much less walking home alone after dark.

Kaoru consoled herself with the fact that if she hurried she'd be home in a few minutes and really what could happen in the space of a few minutes time?

She felt more than heard it first. A tingling that raced down the back of her neck and raised the hairs there. She glanced over her shoulder and saw nothing. 'Must be getting paranoid,' Kaoru muttered to herself, but all the same found that she was walking faster than she was before.

As Kaoru stopped to wait at the light she heard it.

A soft almost silent footfall.

Kaoru whirled around and saw nothing.

'Stop that,' she chided herself. She was getting spooked over nothing. There was nothing there. 'No more coffee during work.' Never the less she looked behind her once more before crossing the street.

The feeling of something being there didn't leave her and Kaoru tramped down firmly on the urge to keep looking behind her as she turned into the little street where her apartment was located.

'For goodness sake,' Kaoru grumbled. Letting herself give into the urge she turned. 'See…? There's noth-'

There was something there.

A pair of golden eyes watched her.

Kaoru sucked in a breath and took an involuntary step back. In response whatever it was that was stalking her took a step forward until a beam of light from an overheard street-lamp fell across it.

Its pelt was a beautiful orange red stripped in gold and black with dapples rippling along its flanks and shoulders as it moved. It padded silently toward her, head tilted to the side and its golden eyes, slitted like a cat's watching her. The ears were slightly rounded at the top and tipped with white. Long silvery whiskers framed a powerful muzzle and Kaoru caught the flash of white fang. Her gaze dropped to its feet as it moved silently toward her. They were large and tipped with claws.

Her throat closed up and no sound came out. She continued to stare at it as it approached her, frozen in place.

'Run!' Her mind screamed but her body didn't respond.

It stopped several paces from her and sat down, tail curling around its feet, its eyes never leaving her.

"Hi kitty," Kaoru murmured, taking a careful step backward and congratulating herself on being able to finally move.

Its ears twitched and she heard what sounded like a soft laugh echo in her head.

Kaoru shook her head. Great now she was hearing things.

"Where did you come from hmm?" Kaoru kept her voice low and soothing even as she inched away from it and closer to her house. "I hope you're not hungry because I really don't want to be on the menu."

This time she heard what sounded like a definite laugh and shook her head in frustration. Do people hallucinate before they die?

Her heart stuttered to a stop as it got to its feet and resumed padding toward her.

Now what should she do? All of Kaoru's instincts were screaming at her to run but she firmly quashed them. If she ran it would chase her and Kaoru was under no illusions that she could outrun it. Ending up dead on her doorstep was not an option Kaoru liked.

Freeze and play dead? Maybe that only worked on bears.

Kaoru was so intent on keeping an eye on the big cat that she forgot to look where she was going and tripped over, of all things, a stick lying on the ground. Her arms wind milled in the air and she hit the ground with a loud thump.

Great, Kaoru closed her eyes tightly and waited for it to lunge at her and rip her head off.

There was a wash of warm breath across her cheek and against her better judgment, cautiously opened her eyes.

And found herself staring into a pair of calm golden eyes.

Kaoru didn't know whether to cry with joy that she wasn't dead yet or scream. This was taking years off her life, she could just feel it. Big scary cat… If it didn't eat her Kaoru was going to end up dead from a heart attack.

Kaoru carefully scooted back a foot and cursed when it stepped forward not letting her gain any space or lose it. Great… just great…

"Stop playing with me," Kaoru growled.

Something like amusement glittered in its golden eyes and its jaws parted in a smile giving Kaoru a lovely view or razor sharp white teeth.

For the third time tonight her heart attempted to stop beating.

"Stop it," she told it sharply. She wasn't about to let it scare her to death. She didn't want to have it eat her either but if she died at least she'd die with some dignity.

Its ears twitched at the sound of her voice and it cocked its head to the side, watching her intently.

"Yes I told you to stop it," Kaoru replied in response to the question in its eyes. Great she was talking to a big cat… tiger… panther… whatever the hell it was. "Just because you're a big scary cat does not mean I have to be afraid of you."

There was another laugh inside of her head and Kaoru fought the urge to rub at her temples.

She gave a squeak of surprise when it suddenly shoved its head underneath her hand.

"Wha-?"

It butted its head firmly against her hand.

"Are you -?" Kaoru gave its ears a tentative scratch and heard a purr rumble up through its chest in response. "Guess you are asking me to scratch your ears," she muttered. Well this was definitely preferable to dying.

She gave another squeak of surprise when it suddenly flopped down beside her, resting its head in her lap the force of its purr vibrating through her.

"Good grief," she muttered and switched hands to scratch his ears with. "At least you're not eating me."

It merely continued purring, eyes half-lidded in bliss.

"You probably don't eat people at all," Kaoru snorted. "Just go around scaring them and asking for ear scratches. Big bad kitty cat you're not so tough after all."

That laugh echoed again in her head and she nearly growled in frustration.

"Hey kitty?" It opened its eyes at the sound of her voice. "If I am going crazy can you please just eat me? I'm not all that excited about spending the rest of my life in a loony bin."

'You're not going crazy.' This time instead of a laugh Kaoru got a definite voice in her head.

She nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Kitty?" Kaoru asked.

It merely blinked at her.

"If that's you talking in my head I am going to kill you. Painfully."

That laugh echoed again and she yelped in surprise as it suddenly got to its feet, golden eyes gleaming.

Refusing to be intimidated she stared back at it and it grinned cheerfully at her.

"Kitty?" It tilted its head inquisitively at her. "What the hell are you?"

'I like you.' There was a tinge of laughter to the voice.

"Wonderful," Kaoru muttered. "You like me I feel special."

'You should,' sarcasm was evidentially lost on him. 'I'm here to offer you a bargain.'

"It's not for my soul is it?" Kaoru asked.

'Marriage.'

Kaoru blinked, 'pardon?'

'My Master is seeking a wife.'

"Then why isn't he here himself?" Kaoru asked.

She felt a pause in her head before it – he it was a he – answered. "He's under a curse."

"What type of curse?" Kaoru asked. When she heard curse the first thing that popped into her head was that he had three eyes and a horn on his head. That would explain the reason he had the tiger going around looking for eligible brides.

'He is confined to the palace and can only appear to you at night.' Was the tiger's reply.

Well that was definitely preferable to multiple eyes and a horn.

"You can tell your master thank you but I'm not looking to get married anytime soon." Kaoru said. She gave what she hoped was an understanding smile and turned to walk away.

'Not even if it would save your father's life?'

Kaoru froze in her tracks. "What about my father?" Her tone was wary.

'He's dying. You must know that.' The tiger said softly.

"I know," Kaoru replied quietly.

'Marry my Master and I can heal your father,' the tiger's eyes were sympathetic and Kaoru felt a lump build in her throat.

"Is this some sort of blackmail?"

'No,' he murmured. 'Just giving you options; my Master does not have many left to him.'

"I marry your Master and my father lives. I don't and he dies." Kaoru's voice was tight. "You are the one who is not giving me many options."

'Not many,' the tiger agreed. 'But some are better than none.'

"What will you do if I refuse? Kidnap me? Eat me perhaps?"

'Nothing,' the tiger said. 'I will not harm you.'

"But my father will die," Kaoru said.

'Yes.'

Kaoru raked her bangs out of her eyes and took a deep breath. "Will I ever see my father again?"

'No. But he will be well provided for.'

"He'll be alive."

'And given a home, a place to live. A monthly allowance. He will want for nothing. He will not be sick until the day he dies of natural causes.'

"But I will never see him again," Kaoru murmured.

'Yes.'

Kaoru closed her eyes, wrestling with uncertainty. "What is your Master like?"

'He is a good man.' The tiger said.

"Why was he cursed?" Kaoru asked.

'It is a familial curse,' the tiger told her.

"So he can not leave his palace and only appear at night?" Kaoru murmured.

'Yes,' the tiger replied.

"Is there anyway to break the curse?" Kaoru asked.

The tiger's eyes flickered, 'we do not know.'

"Do I have to decide right now?" Kaoru murmured.

The look he gave her said yes.

"Can I say goodbye to my father?" Kaoru queried.

'If you wish,'

"Please," Kaoru bit her lip.

The tiger nodded.

They turned together to the apartment, the tiger at her side. Kaoru buried her fingers his fur, needing something to hold onto. The bottom felt like it was dropping out of her stomach and she chewed her lip. The tiger said nothing but the comfortable press of him against her side was reassuring.

Kaoru opened the door and went up the stairs to the apartment she lived in with her father – would no longer live in. The door opened silently and the tiger at her side moved as if he was not even there.

Carefully Kaoru tiptoed to her father's room and pushed the door open peering into the darkness. The sound of his breathing told her that he was asleep and Kaoru winced at the raspy catch in his throat.

She pushed open the door and went to his bedside the tiger trailing after her.

"Hi Daddy," Kaoru murmured quietly.

Her father didn't stir, remaining asleep and Kaoru felt the sting of tears in her eyes. Perhaps this was best.

"I have to go," Kaoru told him softly. "I won't be able to see you again but you will be fine and I will be taken care of." She smiled a bit sadly. "You won't need to worry about me… I love you Daddy." Kaoru brushed a kiss across his forehead and stepped back quickly from the bed.

The tiger brushed past her and Kaoru watched as he laid his head on the bed, muzzle just touching her father's hand. There was a tightening in the air and Kaoru's breath caught in her throat. Her father's breathing gentled becoming even and clear.

"Is he…?"

'He is well now,' the tiger said stepping away to stand beside her. 'In the morning he will wake in his new home and have no memory as to how he got there. He will think he has always lived there. And he will know that you are safe and well and not worry for you."

"Thank you," Kaoru dashed away the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

The tiger nudge her hand gently with his muzzle. 'Come now.'

Kaoru turned and walked out of the room, closing it behind her. For a second her knees weakened and she leaned against the door in effort not to crumble to the floor and cry.

The tiger waited silently while she composed herself and she offered him a tentative smile. "Let's go now."

He nodded once and padded off in front of her tail swishing silently through the air.

With every step away from the apartment, Kaoru felt her heart inexplicably become lighter. The knot in her throat dissolved and tears stopped threatening to fall. Her father would be alright now. She didn't have to worry about him. Taking a deep breath she raised her head and squared her shoulders.

He would be fine.

She would be fine.

The walk to the palace was the shortest Kaoru had ever taken in her life. At their approach the wrought iron gates swung open and the tiger led Kaoru through them, stopping every so often to look behind him and make sure she was following. She didn't hear them close but when she looked over her shoulder they had swung shut.

Kaoru gazed around her as they walked. The light from the palace illuminated everything and mingled with the light of the moon and stars which suddenly seemed brighter giving everything an odd silver-gold touch to everything. A soft breeze caused the roses to bob their heads as Kaoru walked past, night had turned their color from red to silver edged in gold.

It was beautiful.

She looked away to see the tiger watching her and she offered him a small smile.

There were three steps leading into the door and like the gates it too opened at their appearance.

Kaoru was led into a large brightly illuminated hallway the ceiling arching high above her head. The floor under her feet was brightly polished honey-colored wood and the walls were a soft cream color that was soothing. Flowers were every where in pots, hanging from baskets along the ceilings. The air smelled wonderful.

'Are you hungry?' The tiger asked.

"A little," Kaoru admitted. She had grabbed a quick bite to eat just before leaving the café but it now seemed like an eternity since then. "Where is your Master?"

There was a pause in her head and the tiger seemed to be choosing his words carefully. 'He can only appear to you at night. In the cover of darkness. You are not allowed to see him in the light.'

Kaoru blinked. Maybe he did have three eyes and a horn then. "Is that part of his curse as well?"

'Yes,' the tiger's voice was apologetic.

"Lovely," Kaoru murmured.

The tiger ducked his head and she gave his ears a gentle scratch. "Not your fault. You can't do anything about it. I think I will have something to eat then if you don't mind."

'As my lady wishes,' the tiger grinned at her, brightening. 'Follow me this way to the kitchens.'

"I hope you aren't expecting me to cook," Kaoru eyed him.

'No, you need not cook unless you wish to. Everything that you want will be provided for.'

"That's good to know," Kaoru murmured. There went her visions of burning down the palace through a botched attempt at spaghetti.

The tiger laughed quietly and padded off, turning a corner. Kaoru hastened to follow.

The kitchen was as large as Kaoru's entire apartment had been. There was a large stove and pots and pans hung from racks on the walls. A small dining table was in the center, covered in white lace cloth a plate and cutlery already set out for her.

'Go sit down,' the tiger urged.

Kaoru looked at him and then went over to the table sitting down gingerly.

The air above the table flickered and a second later a breadbasket appeared accompanied by some butter. A white china teapot quickly followed with a cup in its wake. A jug of milk and sugar bowl made their appearance seconds after.

Beside Kaoru's plate a bowl of vegetable soup wavered into the air and when she looked back at her plate she saw a steak and mashed potatoes and vegetables occupying it.

Kaoru gave the tiger a bewildered look. "I hope I'm not expected to eat all of this."

The tiger laughed softly and its expression was amused. 'There's dessert also.'

"If I eat all of this _and_ dessert I will burst," Kaoru told him.

'Eat as much as you want. There is always more.' The tiger's eyes sparkled and she made a face at him.

"Stop looking so amused kitty-cat."

The look he gave her made her snicker.

"What am I going to call you anyway?" She asked. "Kitty-cat is obviously out of the question."

'Kenshin.'

"Kenshin," Kaoru murmured. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kaoru."

'Kaoru,' Kenshin's eyes gleamed and he nudged her hand. Kaoru obligingly scratched his ears.

Kaoru gave his head another pat and then began to eat. It amazed how hungry she suddenly was and the food was very, very good. She managed to eat all of her soup and a good portion of her steak and vegetables. As if sensing she was finished they all disappeared and a small bowl of custard and strawberries took their place.

Kaoru ate about half of her dessert before settling back in her chair. "I'm stuffed."

The tiger looked amused and she half-heartedly stuck her tongue out at him. "Why didn't you eat anything? I could have given you some of my steak."

'I'm not hungry,' Kenshin replied. "But thank you."

Kaoru attempted to rise but gave up and flopped back in the chair. "I'm stuffed!"

'Do I need to roll you to your room?' Kenshin's voice had barely contained laughter in it.

"You might have to," Kaoru said.

She got to her feet and Kenshin walked beside her, her hand resting on his back and giving her something to lean against.

"How far to my rooms?" Kaoru asked.

"The other end of the palace," Kenshin replied.

"Guess I'll end up working off my meals anyway," Kaoru murmured and he did laugh this time. "Least I know I won't be getting fat."

"Would you like to take a peak into the library?" Kenshin asked.

Kaoru's interest perked up, "you have a library?"

"Three actually," he ducked his head as she moved to whack him.

"And you didn't tell me this when you were bargaining because? I might have said yes sooner."

Kenshin snorted and she grinned at him.

"Thanks," she bent down, wrapping her arm around his neck and giving him a hug. Dropping a kiss on the top of his head she straightened. "Lead the way please."

The first of the three libraries (Kenshin said he would show the others to her tomorrow) was only a short walk away.

Kenshin said it was the smallest of all the libraries to which Kaoru replied she didn't want to know what the size of the biggest was, it was probably big enough to be its own country.

The library was huge.

A fire crackled merrily in the fireplace. Books lined the shelves that spanned the length and breath of the walls. Kaoru tried to multiply the number of books she saw by the book shelves she counted and found she couldn't. There were a lot of books. She could spend the rest of her life spending time in here reading all of them happily. And this was only the first library.

She gave Kenshin a look and he nodded. Kaoru took a deep breath and forced herself to walk to the nearest bookshelf and find a book and take it carefully out of the shelves. She could feel Kenshin emanating amusement at her back and made a face.

"Oh hell," she muttered and grabbed four more whose titles she liked and another one she caught at the corner of her eye as she turned away. Balancing her books carefully she walked over to the couch near to the fire and set them down.

'Only six?' Kenshin remarked.

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him and curled up on the couch grabbing the book from the top of the pile. "You are now being ignored in favor of pirates and knights and a royal murder."

'You prefer the book over me?' Kenshin's voice sounded mournful.

"Yes," Kaoru said unrepentantly.

Kenshin sighed and gave her a pitiful look a puppy would have envied.

"Ignoring you," Kaoru sing-songed and turned the page.

Kenshin huffed softly and curled up on the floor next to her his head on his paws.

Kaoru gave his head a reassuring pat and resumed reading.

As exciting and well-written as the book was Kaoru soon found that her eyelids were growing heavy and the words on the pages becoming blurred. It didn't help that the couch was really, really comfy. It had been a long day and she was very tired. She didn't know how late in the night it was but it was on the near side to midnight by her estimates.

Sighing she didn't notice when the book fell from her hands and she drifted off into sleep.

000

Something woke her. Kaoru's eyes opened and she struggled to figure out what. It had grown dark. The fire had burned itself out and squinting all that she could make out was shapes and shadows in the darkness.

There was a gentle touch at her head fingers stroking through loose hair she didn't remember freeing from her usual ponytail and playing with the ends idly.

"What -?" She tried head jerking around in the direction of the touch.

"It's okay," the disembodied voice had her jumping.

"Who?" Then Kaoru's brain clicked as she remembered part of the curse. "It's you isn't it?"

"Yes," Kaoru heard the air shift and felt the couch lower as he settled himself down next to her. She couldn't see him in the darkness and she hated it.

"You know Kenshin never told me your name," she said.

"Battousai," he replied. "And you are Kaoru."

"Yes," she answered. She narrowed her eyes. "You don't happen to have three eyes and a horn do you?"

"No," Battousai's laugh surprised her. It was soft and warm and she felt something in her chest warm in return but at the same time it had a sense of sadness. He hadn't had something to laugh at or with in a long time, she suspected.

"Well that's good," Kaoru said.

"Yes," even though she couldn't see him Kaoru could feel his eyes on her and fought the urge to fidget.

"Why me?" Kaoru asked.

"Why you?" Battousai asked and she nodded. "You always waved whenever you went by. You acknowledged that the palace was here and someone lived inside of it." There was an odd wistful note to his voice. "Most people in the city have forgotten it or pretend it does not exist." That he did not exist. "The curse keeps it from being harmed but cloaks it from those with ill-intent toward it."

"Oh," Kaoru murmured.

She felt him nod silently.

"And my father is fine?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes," Battousai said. "He will never want for anything for the rest of his life."

Kenshin might have said the same thing but hearing it from Battousai made the last bit of tension in her fade away. His words had a ring of truth to them and his voice was at once sympathetic and reassuring.

"Thank you," she said softly.

There was a gentle touch at her cheek, brushing away a tear she didn't even know she was crying. Kaoru crumbled at the touch the tears coming faster and sobs rising and getting stuck in her throat.

She felt Battousai pull her against him and buried her face in the hollow of his throat, body shaking as she tried not to cry. His hand moved up and down her back gently and she could hear him murmur quietly against her ear. Kaoru couldn't make out the words but his voice was soft and comforting. Kaoru went limp against him, letting herself cry.

When she finally did stop crying his shirt was damp and her throat felt sore. It was a good thing he couldn't see her, Kaoru reflected. She must look like a mess with her eyes and nose all red and trying not to sniffle.

There was a gentle touch at her chin, raising her face and she felt him press a kiss to her forehead.

"Let's get you to bed."

Kaoru squeaked as she found herself suddenly picked up. "Ba-"

"You're tired and you need sleep," his voice booked no argument. "I'm just bringing you to your rooms as it's faster that way and I can see in the dark."

He had a point. Still it felt odd being carried when she couldn't see anything. Kaoru shut her eyes and the sensation lessened somewhat. She fisted her hands in his shirt needing something to hold onto.

How long it took Kaoru didn't know. She heard a door squeak and opened her eyes just before she was set down carefully on a bed. There was a brush of air as Battousai stepped away and Kaoru turned her head in his direction.

"Sleep well," he murmured. "I will see you tomorrow… night."

There was another soft creak of a floorboard as he moved followed by the sound of the door closing and then Kaoru was left alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Kaoru woke the next morning feeling disorientated. Where was she? Lights streamed through tall glass windows, framed by white filmy curtains. The sunlight touched the room with gold and brought out the golden threads and whimsical patterning in the duvet she was curled up under.

Then she remembered... She no longer lived in the apartment. Her new home had become the palace. Kaoru felt sadness bubble up inside of her and firmly pushed it down. It had been the right decision, she consoled herself. Her father was now healthy and safe.

Wasn't that what she had always wanted?

Sighing, she pushed back the covers and got out of bed. The floor was pleasantly warm against her bare feet and she wriggled her toes in response to it. As she took a step away her foot touched off something soft and she looked down to see a pair of fluffy white slippers. Kaoru placed them on her feet and then turned coming face to face with a full-length mirror.

Her reflection made her wrinkle her nose. Her hair was a mess and her clothes were rumbled from sleep. Her face looked a bit too pale for her liking and she smiled at herself in the mirror trying to chase the look in her eyes away.

It didn't seem to work and she sighed and turned away. This place wouldn't happen to have a bathroom would it?

In response to unvoiced thoughts Kaoru felt a tingle race across the back of her neck and door wavered into existence where before only a blank wall had been.

"Thanks," Kaoru murmured and stepped toward it.

Inside, the bathroom was huge. Everything from the towels to the tiles on the floor to the toothbrush on the sink was done in the same gold and cream color to match the decor of her room. A large bathtub took up a good portion of it and numerous bottles of all shapes and sizes lined the edge.

Kaoru went to the bathtub and turned the knob experimentally. Hot water gushed out sending steam into the air. Kaoru touched the other knob which cooled it somewhat until the temperature was perfect. She sighed happily and stripped out of her dirty clothes and out of her slippers, throwing them into a corner before slipping under the wonderfully warm water.

Kaoru grabbed the nearest bottle, she hoped it contained shampoo and massaged the thick pale peach cream into her hair. It smelled of flowers but she couldn't name the scent. Kaoru quickly finished washing herself and pulled the plug so that the water drained from the bath.

Turning she saw two thick fluffy towels had been neatly placed on the ledge and she wrapped one around her hair and the other around her body before padding out of the bathroom and into her new bedroom. Her clothes had disappeared as had her slippers and Kaoru frowned. She hoped they were just being taken away for cleaning and laundry and not just being taken away permanently.

Still that did give her a problem as to what to wear (not that wearing her old clothes had been an option Kaoru particularly liked). Her problem was solved when she found a closet had appeared taking the place of the wall across from her bed. On her bed lay a brush and comb and some brightly colored hair ribbons.

Kaoru opened the closet and peered inside. 'Well at least it wasn't full of dresses,' was her first thought of relief. Shirts and pants of the kind she would normally wear hung from hangers. She spotted two or three dresses and a skirt. But even so the frills and laces were nonexistent.

Kaoru smiled and gave another mental thank you to the palace which was obviously behind all of this and grabbed a shirt and pair of pants and put them on. Her hair she combed and then pulled into a high ponytail secured by a bright blue ribbon. Her towels had vanished from where she dropped them on the floor and in their place appeared soft leather moccasins.

Her feet whispered across the floor as she walked to the door and opened it, peering around the corner and into the hallway. It was the same gold and cream of her bedroom, windows placed high up in the walls near the ceiling letting light stream in.

'Good morning.'

Kaoru nearly jumped out of her skin, whirling around to see Kenshin behind her.

"Don't do that!" She yelped. "You scared me."

Kenshin grinned and ducked his head amber eyes flashing. 'Sorry.'

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him and he only grinned wider.

'How did you sleep?' Kenshin inquired pushing his head against her hand she obligingly scratched his ears.

"I slept well," Kaoru replied.

'I'm glad to hear that,' Kenshin's eyes were half-lidded and she grinned in amusement giving him an extra scratch before letting her hand fall away.

'What would you like to do?' Kenshin asked tilting his head to the side.

"Have breakfast," Kaoru replied as her stomach rumbled. "And go exploring if that's alright." She paused hesitantly. "Am I allowed outside the palace?"

'Yes,' Kenshin nodded. 'But not past the gates. You may roam the grounds but are not allowed past the gates.'

"Oh," Kaoru murmured. "I guess it's better than being cooped up in the palace all day."

There was an unreadable expression in Kenshin's eyes, 'it is.' He agreed with her, his voice soft.

"So…" Kaoru attempted to change the subject. "Breakfast?"

'Follow me,' Kenshin murmured taking off in a trot.

"Gah!" Kaoru dashed after him. "Wait up!"

The sound of his laughter floated around in her head, his brief melancholy having vanished.

Breakfast turned out to be oatmeal and tea and many different kinds of fruit followed by a vanilla flavored yogurt as desert. Kaoru was once again surprised at both how hungry she was and how good it tasted. It was a good thing; she reflected that her quarters were so far from the kitchen, going back and forth from it to her bedroom and the other rooms in the house, would keep any weight she might gain off.

As before Kenshin didn't eat and merely watched her. Kaoru was beginning to get the suspicion that he did not need to eat.

With a sigh, Kaoru leaned back in her chair cradling her cup of tea. The dishes vanished one by one into thin air leaving behind a clean empty table. She took a sip of tea feeling pleasantly full and happier than she had felt previously. A full stomach always did wonders for her mood.

'What would you like to do no?' Kenshin asked.

"I don't know," Kaoru murmured musingly, taking a sip of her tea. "What do you recommend we do?"

'You're asking me to decide?' Kenshin's jaws parted in a grin.

"Show me around." Kaoru told him. "Surprise me."

'As you wish then,' Kenshin's voice sounded so cheerful that it had her looking at him closely.

"What are you planning?" Kaoru asked warily.

'Nothing you won't enjoy,' Kenshin assured her. 'You do like flowers don't you?'

"Yes…" Kaoru blinked.

'Good then,' Kenshin sounded pleased. 'Finish your tea and I'll take you there.'

Kaoru gulped down the rest of her tea and Kenshin barely waited for her to place the cup on the table before getting to his feet and having her scramble after him in order to keep up.

"If you don't slow down I'm going to grab your tail and force you to slow down," Kaoru grumbled.

Kenshin paused to allow her to catch up but his eyes were still glittering. Kaoru gave his head a rub and he walked along beside her slowly this time, tail swishing in the air the only thing to show his excitement.

"So where are you taking me anyway?" Kaoru asked.

'It's a surprise,' Kenshin replied.

"So I have to shut up and be patient until we get there?"

'If you wish.'

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him getting another laugh in response.

"You're a happy kitty today."

'Mmm.' Kenshin replied cheerfully.

They turned an abrupt corner and found that the wall had a large clear glass door in front of them. Kenshin touched his muzzle against it and it swung open, letting them through. The path beneath their feet turned to well-worn gray stone.

There were flowers everywhere that Kaoru looked. Rose bushes in all colors seemed to dominant but Kaoru caught sight of orchids and lilies and others she couldn't name. A few butter-yellow butterflies darted through the air.

"Is this what you were going to show me?" Kaoru asked.

'Nope,' Kenshin's pace increased and she lengthened her stride to keep up with him. 'It's a bit further ahead.'

"Ah," Kaoru murmured. As they continued farther down the path trees began to appear, one or two and then they steadily grew more numerous and thicker together until the branches arched and interconnected over their heads and dim light filtered through the leaves and branches.

"There yet?" Kaoru asked.

'Not much farther now.' Kenshin replied.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

'Aren't you?' Kenshin answered.

"Yes," Kaoru grinned. It felt good to get out of the palace and the grounds were beautiful. "How much land is here anyway?"

'Three hundred acres.'

Kaoru blinked slowly. 'Three… hundred… acres?"

'Yes.' Kenshin 'Time and space does not work here the same as the world outside the gates.'

"Because of the curse," Kaoru murmured.

'Yes,' and some of the cheerfulness faded from Kenshin's voice.

Kaoru gave his ears a rub and heard him sigh softly.

'It's been along time since anyone has been here… We've been alone for so long.'

"Can Battousai not leave this place?" Kaoru asked.

'No,' Kenshin said quietly. 'The curse ties my Master here. Holds him prisoner.'

"I see," Kaoru said softly.

Kenshin's ears twitched forward and some of the animation came back into his step. 'We're here!' He announced and bounded forward.

"Wait up!" Kaoru yelled and took off after him.

The little forest tunnel they'd been walking to ended suddenly and she blinked as bright sunlight hit her eyes. Then once she recognized what it was that she was seeing they widened.

A small white-washed chapel surrounded by flowers was situated near the banks of a slowly rushing river.

'Like it?' Kenshin's voice suddenly turned tentative.

"It's beautiful," Kaoru said softly.

'It was built for my Master's mother,' Kenshin told her. 'She liked to come here to read and write and draw or just be alone.'

"It's lovely," Kaoru told him.

'Go inside,' Kenshin urged.

Kaoru nodded quietly and walked up to the door. It opened silently at her approach and she paused, glancing over her shoulder at Kenshin who had sat down and was watching her silently, the tip of his tail twitching against his paws.

Taking a deep breath Kaoru stepped inside.

The chapel was done in a large circular shape. The floor underneath her feet was a kind of silvery stone, worn smooth by time and age. There were three easels propped up against the far wall and a small bookshelf facing it from across the room. Light streamed through the stained glass window that depicted a rose above her head, throwing rainbows across the walls. There were three rows of pews the wood smooth and shining in the light. But for all of that it didn't feel so much as a chapel as she had originally thought of it. It felt more so as a place for one to come to retreat and reflect.

There were doors at the far end of the room identical to the ones she had come through and padded over to them, as the ones before they opened at her approach. Just a few feet past the doors was a small patio with chairs and table shaded by a white umbrella which overlooked the river that flowed sedately in front of her.

Kaoru took a deep breath and felt some of the tension leave her.

'Do you like it?'

This time Kaoru managed not to jump out of her skin.

"Can't you make some kind of noise instead of sneaking up behind me?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin ducked his head. 'Sorry… Do you like it?' He repeated his question again softly.

"Yes," Kaoru smiled and he raised his head, ears perking. "It's lovely. Thank you for showing it to me."

'It's yours if you wish it,' Kenshin said. 'My Master said he would like for you to have it.'

"Mine?" Kaoru breathed, eyes widening.

Kenshin's laughter echoed in her head.

'This is your home now. All that you see is yours.'

"But…" Kaoru blinked.

'You are not a prisoner here Kaoru.' Kenshin murmured. 'My Master and I both want you to be happy here.'

"But…" Kaoru blinked again.

Kenshin laughed again and she shook her head.

"Thank you," a grin stretched across her face and impulsively she gave him a hug.

'You're welcome,' Kenshin ducked his head and this time it was Kaoru's turn to laugh.

"Come on," she gave his ears a gentle rub. "It's probably lunch time."

'Hungry?' Kenshin sounded amused.

"It must be all the fresh air," Kaoru replied. "And this time you are eating something. I don't like eating alone. How about a nice juicy steak?"

'Sounds good,' Kenshin admitted.

"Don't force me to shove it down your throat. You're a tiger. You need lots of protein."

Kenshin nodded meekly. 'I'll eat.'

"You better," Kaoru eyed him. "You don't want your stripes to fall off do you?"

'No,' Kenshin murmured. 'We better get back to the palace. That looks like a rain cloud.' He took off in an easy lope.

Kaoru shook her head and looked skyward. There wasn't a cloud to be seen. Rolling her eyes she jogged after him.

000

Lunch turned out to be a thick vegetable stew with warm crunchy bread and a slice of chocolate cake for desert. A thick steak also appeared on the table and Kaoru eyed Kenshin as he ate it, making sure he finished it.

"See? Now wasn't that good?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin's ears flattened slightly against his head, 'yes.'

"Good boy," Kaoru took a bite of her cake and he snorted and laid his head down on his paws, the tip of his tail twitching.

'What would you like to do next?' Kenshin asked.

"See the other libraries!"

Kenshin laughed softly, 'did I even need to ask?'

"Nope," Kaoru grinned and stabbed another piece of cake.

'Library is it then,' Kenshin got to his feet and Kaoru pushed her plate away and followed him out of the kitchen.

The second one he showed her was bigger than the first one she had seen – but then again he had told her it was the smallest of the three libraries. The ceiling arched high above their heads and the walls were more glass than anything else letting light flood the room. Kaoru lost count at the number of bookshelves and spaced here and there throughout the library were small couches for one to lie down on and read.

Kaoru darted through the rows of shelves grabbing books and ignoring the amusement radiating off Kenshin, flopped down on one of the couches and began to read.

Kenshin shook his head and curled up next to the couch, head on his paws.

Kaoru paused in her reading and slipped a finger between the pages to mark her space. "Kenshin you don't have to stay with me if you don't want to."

'Hmm?' Kenshin blinked.

"I'm probably boring you or something, just sitting here reading." Kaoru said.

'Not at all,' Kenshin sounded confused. 'Why would you think that?'

"Because reading isn't exactly the most exciting activity if you don't have a book." Kaoru laughed softly. "You wouldn't happen to have a scrabble board would you?"

'We don't,' Kenshin said. 'But we could get one if you wish.'

"No, but thank you all the same," Kaoru shook her head smiling. "You sure you're fine just sitting there while I read?"

'Yes.' Kenshin told her.

"How about I read to you instead?" Kaoru blew her bangs out of her eyes. "I hope you don't mind fantasy."

'Read to me?' Kenshin blinked.

"If you want me too; unless you're thinking about taking a cat nap right now?"

'Cat nap?' Kenshin snorted softly.

"It's a joke," Kaoru grinned. She gestured toward the pile of books. "Now what do you think? Pirates or knights?"

'Knights,' Kenshin said and Kaoru grinned and picked up the book, flipping to the first page and began to read.

Kaoru read through that book – it was short – and then picked up another and continued to read. She read a few pages of the second book and then placed it down beside her on the couch.

'Finished?' Kenshin questioned.

"My throat is getting sore," Kaoru told him.

There was a slight tingle of magic and a small table with a jug of lemonade and two cups appeared next to the couch.

"Thank you," Kaoru told him and he grinned at her.

'You're welcome,' Kenshin nudged her hand and sighed softly when she gave his ears a scratch.

"What time is it?" Kaoru asked.

'I think about dinner time,' Kenshin cocked his head the side. 'Yes it's dinner time I believe.'

"You hungry?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin blinked at her, 'yes…' he said carefully.

"Good," Kaoru got to her feet. "I'm starved. Reading made me hungry."

'Is that why you stopped in the middle of a banquet scene?' Kenshin asked grinning.

"The descriptions of roast duck and pies were making me hungry." Kaoru nodded. "I might as well eat some real food instead of just reading about it."

'Good point,' Kenshin agreed.

"You're eating too," Kaoru told him.

Kenshin's ears flattened slightly. 'I'm... not…' he made a soft gulping sound at the look she gave him, 'I'm hungry! I'll eat!'

"Just because you're a magical kitty cat does not mean you are allowed to skip meals." Kaoru wagged her finger at him and he ducked his head. "And admit it you like steak."

'At least it's not tuna,' Kenshin muttered softly and gave her an innocent look when she raised an eyebrow.

"Race you to the kitchen." Kaoru took off as soon as she finished saying the words.

'Hey!' Kenshin yelped and took off after her.

He quickly caught up with her but made no move to run faster and kept up pace with her easily. Grinning, Kaoru gave a burst of speed and he lengthened his stride in order to keep up.

Kaoru skidded to a stop just before the kitchen doors, still grinning and her breath coming in short quick gasps. Lacing her fingers together over her head she stretched and sighed happily when she felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. "That felt good."

Kenshin grinned at her and she gave his head a gentle rap with her knuckles. "That was as race." She reminded him. "You were supposed to beat me. You weren't even trying and you know it."

'It was more fun this way.' Kenshin said. 'I'll win next time if you it makes you feel any better.'

"Who says I'd let you win?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin laughed softly and nudged her in the direction of the door. 'Let's go eat.'

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him but allowed him to guide her into the kitchen.

The food was already set out for them: A vegetable soup with thick chunks of chicken and vegetables floating in the broth; and some more of that crispy fresh-from-the-oven bread, a beef lasagna, and cherry pie as dessert.

Two large salmon lay on a platter on the floor for Kenshin.

Kaoru shook her head. "Where does the palace get the idea that I am going to be able to eat all of this?"

'You need to eat more,' Kenshin said.

Kaoru snorted, 'you do. I don't.'

'So you say,' Kenshin said serenely settling himself down in front of the salmon and began to eat.

Kaoru watched him for a moment to make sure he was indeed eating before grabbing the chair next to him and piling her plate with the lasagna and bread, alternating with a sip of soup and the mint tea from the teapot that appeared at her elbow.

Kenshin finished his meal before her and watched her silently as she ate. Kaoru offered him a piece of pie but he declined.

"Stuffed again," Kaoru leaned back in the chair patting her stomach. "I feel like I've gained five pounds. I probably have." She tapped a fingernail against her cup idly, too full to make any other sort of movement.

'Do I need to roll you to your room?' Kenshin asked lightly.

"I'll probably get stuck in the doorway," Kaoru rolled her eyes. 'Note to self – just because there is all that food in front of you does not mean you have to eat all of it.'

Kenshin laughed softly and she shook her head.

"How was your meal?"

'Good,' Kenshin murmured.

"That's good," Kaoru said softly. She bit her lip and tapped her finger several times against the teacup, appearing to be thinking. "Hey… Kenshin?"

'Hmm?' Kenshin raised his head from his paws and gave her an inquiring look. 'What is it?'

"Can I ask you a question?"

'Sure. What is it?'

"Have you always been a tiger?" She paused. "I mean talking magical tigers are pretty rare, at least I think so. Have you always been a tiger or is it just some part of the curse like the one Battousai is under?"

'I…' Kaoru heard him take a deep breath. 'I've always been this way…The way that you see me.'

"Oh," Kaoru said quietly. "Do you have any family or have you always been alone?"

'I've served my Master all my life.' Kenshin told her.

"You must have been lonely." Kaoru murmured. "Only you and him locked together in this palace?"

'I am allowed beyond the walls, but he is not.' Kenshin said. 'It's better now that you have come.'

"You're stuck with me," Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him.

'Not a bad position to be in,' Kenshin's eyes sparkled and she shook her head at him.

"You just haven't known me long enough." Kaoru said tartly. "Wait a few weeks and you'll be running whenever you see me coming."

'No I won't.'

"Says you," Kaoru responded.

'Are you happy here Kaoru?' Kenshin asked suddenly. '… I mean you seem to be adjusting well… and I meant what I said earlier. My Master and I want you to be happy here.'

"I…," Kaoru paused. "I can't say I'm unhappy. I haven't been here long enough that I miss what I can't have yet."

'I see,' Kenshin said softly.

Kaoru stroked his head gently. "I'd be a much unhappier if you weren't here.'

Kaoru grinned at the expression on his face and dropped a kiss on top of his head. "You're adorable."

'…I'm adorable… That's a good thing?' Kenshin blinked.

"Definitely," Kaoru assured him. She yawned suddenly, hand flying to her mouth. "What time is it?" She questioned. A clock formed on the wall to her response and she shook her head. "Time does move differently here. I'm ready for bed."

'I'll walk you to your room,' Kenshin offered.

"Thank you," Kaoru smiled. "Where is Battousai anyway? I thought it was nighttime?"

'It is nighttime, but there is also light.' Kenshin said.

"Oh right," Kaoru murmured. "He can't appear when it's light." She made a face. "That curse must really suck."

'I'd imagine so,' Kenshin said softly.

"I'd race you to the room but I'm too tired,' Kaoru smothered another yawn and got to her feet. Kenshin pressed against her giving her something to lean on and she rubbed his ears softly. "Off to bed."

The walk back to the room seemed to be suddenly shorter than Kaoru remembered it. She guessed it was just another manipulation by the palace in response to her wishes to get to bed and sleep.

"Thanks," Kaoru murmured as they stopped in front of her bedroom door.

'Good night,' Kenshin stepped away. 'I will see you later then.'

"Night Kenshin," Kaoru said softly. "Sleep well."

'Sleep well Kaoru,' Kenshin replied and stepped away.

Kaoru gave a half-wave and opened the door closing it behind her. There were a pair of pajamas on the bed and she quickly changed into them before crawling into bed. Her eyes drifted shut and the lights dimmed around her and she was soon fast asleep.

000

Kaoru didn't know what woke her at first. It was still pitch-dark and she didn't know how long she'd slept but she felt wide awake and refreshed. Sitting up she pushed the hair that had worked its ways loose from her ponytail back off of her face.

"Are you awake?"

Kaoru gave a yelp and jumped, her head whipping in the direction of where Battousai's voice had come. "Can't you make some kind of noise? You scared me."

"I'm sorry," there was a shifting noise from the corner and Kaoru had the brief flickering vision in her mind of a chair.

"How was your day?" Battousai inquired softly. "Did you like the chapel?"

"It was lovely," Kaoru told him. "Thank you."

"I'm glad," he said and there was a smile in his voice that made Kaoru smile in return.

"If you have need or wish for something you have only ask."

My father, Kaoru thought and shook her head. "I don't require anything but thank you."

"I do want you to be happy here Kaoru. It's your home, not a prison. If you want anything you only have to ask."

"One thing then," Kaoru said firmly. "Stop lurking in that corner and at least sit on the bed or something so I have a sense of where you are. Talking to a disembodied voice is unnerving."

Battousai laughed softly and Kaoru was glad to hear it. "As you wish then," There was a soft squeak from the chair as he rose and the sound of him padding across the floor. The bed dipped slightly as he sat down at the edge and Kaoru turned her head so she at least felt she was looking at him face to face instead of a shadowy general direction.

"Better," Kaoru said. "How was your day?" She paused. "What _do_ you do all day anyway?"

"I read mostly," Kaoru had the feeling of him shrugging.

"In the dark?" Kaoru blinked.

"I have good eyesight."

"I'd hope so since you're in darkness all the time." Kaoru said.

"Me too… stumbling around banging into dressers and chairs because you cannot see is not very fun."

Kaoru grinned, "I don't think it would be."

"Believe me it's not."

"Are you allowed into the light at all?" Kaoru asked.

"No," Battousai sighed. "I'm cursed to remain in darkness."

"What did you do to deserve that?" Kaoru asked. "As far as curses go it's not a very nice one. Though there probably are worse curses out there. Yours still is not very fun anyway."

"It's familial," Battousai said softly. "Great-grandfather of mine had the misfortune to cross a rather powerful and nasty witch. He accidentally killed the man she loved and she made it that everyone that descended from him would be forced to live in darkness."

"Oh," Kaoru murmured. "That really isn't fair. It's not your fault you're grandfather killed the witch's lover. Why should you have to suffer because of it?"

"I wish I knew the answer to that," Battousai replied.

"Is there anyway you could contact the witch and see if the curse could be taken off? I mean it's been a couple of generations your family has had this curse. Surely you haven't been punished enough?"

"I would if I could." Battousai murmured and then yelped as she kicked him. "What was that for?"

"Then do it!" Kaoru told him. "Or get Kenshin to go off and track down the witch. Even if you can't leave the palace it doesn't mean he can't. Or I could… You shouldn't be forced to live like this when you've done nothing to deserve it."

"You would do that?" Battousai's voice was soft. Kaoru sensed the bed shifting as he leaned forward and felt his fingers ghost across her forehead as he brushed her bangs out of her eyes and pressed a kiss there. "You have a very kind heart."

"It's kinder when I'm not tired," Kaoru said fighting back a yawn. She suddenly felt very, very tired once more. It washed over her like a wave and sighing softly she sank back against the bed. "You smell like ginger," she murmured drowsily, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"Go to sleep Kaoru," there was a soft touch against her cheek and she felt him tuck her hair behind her ear.

Kaoru muttered intelligible in response and pulled the covers up underneath her chin. "Ni' 'Tousai."

She heard him chuckle faintly.

"Good night Kaoru. See you tomorrow."

"See you," Kaoru agreed and let herself sink back into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's Chapter 3!

000

Kaoru woke the next morning feeling disorientated. Where was she? This wasn't her bed. These sheets were not hers…

Then she remembered.

Her home was gone.

She was now living in the palace.

With Kenshin. With Battousai.

'Would she wake up every morning like this?' Kaoru wondered. 'Trying not to cry and missing a world and a place and I can never get back to?' She closed her eyes tightly but could feel them slipping from beneath her eyelids. With a soft sob, she buried her face into the sheets and let herself cry.

By the time she finished crying the sheets were damp against her cheek and she lifted her head, wincing at the reflection in the mirror that looked back at her. Bed head did not go well with early morning cryfests. She looked horrible. Kaoru couldn't decide if she felt as bad as she looked, or if she felt worse.

Either way she wasn't going to spend all day in bed pondering it.

With a sigh she pushed back the sheets and padded to the bathroom. A bath would make her feel better, she decided. After all wasn't that what all the feel-good, self-help books prescribed when you felt down or sad?

The bath did help, Kaoru decided. Sure, she didn't have candles or scented oil or bath fizzes like most books told her to have. But there was something about floating in the warm water with her eyes closed. She could feel all of her troubles literally drifting away and then going down the drain once she pulled the plug.

Getting out of the bath she grabbed the towels lying on the ground and then went into her bedroom where the closet had a new change of clothes. New day, new clothes seemed to be the motto of the closet. She didn't see anything she recognized from the day before and settled on a blue t-shirt and light jacket and jeans, the weather was getting colder and the closet had adjusted for it.

Kaoru ran a brush through her hair and then braided it, not wanting to have to hassle it into a pony tail. Her reflection in the mirror showed a definite improvement, though she was still slightly red around the eyes.

Kaoru gave a determined smile and felt her spirits lift slightly. Okay she was ready to go face the world now.

When she opened the door, Kaoru found that Kenshin was there waiting for her. There was a picnic basket lying on the ground beside his feet and his tail was lashing excitedly through the air.

Kaoru blinked slowly, "what are you doing?"

'I thought you might want to eat outside this morning. The weather is very nice and I could show you around the grounds some more.' He tilted his head, peering at her face and she saw his ears flatten slightly. Stepping toward her, he touched his head gently against her hand, his eyes solemn.

'The fresh air will do you good,' he murmured softly. 'We can go for a walk too if you wish.'

"That's nice of you." Kaoru smiled and gave his ears an affectionate scratch. His eyes brightened somewhat but the look in them was still concerned. 'I'm fine,' Kaoru wanted to say. 'Honestly I am.' She should have known he would have noticed that she'd been crying.

"Where do you propose we eat?" Trying to change the subject, Kaoru picked up the picnic basket and blinked in surprise at the weight of it. "What's in here anyway?"

'The palace packed it,' Kenshin replied.

Kaoru rolled her eyes, "in other words it gave us enough food to feed an army… I hope you're hungry because I know that I will not be able to eat all of this.'

'I'm hungry,' Kenshin assured her. 'And I know where we can eat.'

"Lead the way then," Kaoru shifted her grip on the picnic basket until it was more comfortable and fell into step beside Kenshin.

Kenshin nodded and led Kaoru through the hallway and around a corner. A different one than she remembered. The passageways in the palace seemed to change every time she looked. Kaoru constantly felt like she was going around new corners and corridors in the palace. She wondered if she would ever figure out her away around the palace by herself.

It didn't seem likely.

Another corner was turned and then Kaoru found that they were walking through a pair of French glass doors and outside onto a stone pathway that led into a square open-walled courtyard.

'Follow me,' Kenshin's pace picked up into a trot, leaving Kaoru behind.

"Sure," Kaoru fought the urge to roll her eyes, "I'm the one carrying the heavy picnic basket remember?" Still, she lengthened her stride and managed to keep up with Kenshin as they walked under the arches of the courtyard, following the path which twisted before them, edged by roses and other flowers.

"So where are we going anyway?" Kaoru asked.

'It's a surprise,' was all that Kenshin said.

"Another chapel?" Kaoru questioned.

'No,' Kenshin laughed softly.

"I'll just have to be patient won't I?" Kaoru sighed.

'Yes, you will,' Kenshin's voice was soft and the look he gave her was warm. 'You'll like it.'

"I'll take your word for it," Kaoru said and heard Kenshin laugh.

As they walked Kaoru noticed that ever so slowly trees began to cluster along the path, their branches interlacing overheard until they were not just walking through a path edged by flowers and trees but in a real forest.

"We're not having a picnic in the forest are we?"

'Not unless you want to,' it had grown darker as the branches overhead blocked the sun, and Kenshin's golden eyes seemed to glow.

"Not really," Kaoru shrugged. "I like forests but I don't really want to eat here. So where are we going anyway?"

'Be patient,' Kenshin said softly. 'You will see.'

"I'm ready to fling the picnic basket at you." Kaoru informed him. "It's heavy and it's making me hungry. I haven't had breakfast yet."

'Is it too heavy for you?' Kenshin asked.

"A lit-" Kaoru started to admit and then yelped as she found the picnic in her hand starting to float upward. Shocked she let go of the picnic basket and her eyes widened as it hovered in the air at eyelevel.

"Are… you doing that…?" She whispered.

'Yes.' Kenshin said and then jumped as she rounded on him.

"And you didn't tell me you could levitate objects why? I've been carrying that around and you could have just had it floating along beside us!'

Kenshin ducked his head, ears flat against his skull and whiskers quivering slightly. 'You didn't ask me to; I thought you wanted to do it!'

He had a point.

"Idiot," Kaoru huffed softly.

An ear twitched and Kenshin raised his head slightly.

"At least you aren't treating me like I'm made of glass," Kaoru grumbled.

'Do you want me to?' Kenshin asked quietly.

"No."

'Okay.' Kenshin winced slightly as she put her hands on her hips and leaned over at him.

"I'm mad at you," she told him.

'Sorry,' he murmured meekly.

"So you get to levitate that picnic basket all the way to wherever it is we're going. And then all the way back. And you will eat everything I give you."

'Okay,' he said agreeably.

"I wonder if there's anything containing lima beans in the basket?" Kaoru gave it a measuring look.

Kenshin shuddered softly, 'ick.'

"If they're in there you're eating them."

'But I can't eat vegetables!' Kenshin's expression was so pathetic that Kaoru had to fight back a grin.

"Try something new," she advised and dropped a kiss on top of his head and continued down the path. "You coming?" She called over her shoulder.

'Yes,' Kenshin replied, getting to his feet and walking after her the picnic basket hovering in the air behind him.

The walk afterward didn't take much longer, or at least it didn't feel like it too that much longer to Kaoru. The trees were starting to become sparser, light filtering through the leaves and branches overhead. Here and there a yellow-orange butterfly floated through the air and the scent of flowers suddenly seemed more pungent.

'Just a bit farther,' Kenshin said and once more picked up the pace. Kaoru stayed with him easily; a result, she thought of no longer having to lug around the heavy picnic basket like she had been doing before.

All of a sudden the forest stopped. As if it had hit a wall, it came to an abrupt end. And land stretched away from it gently rolling and sloping downward and away from the trees.

"Oh," Kaoru murmured.

'Thought you'd like it,' Kenshin sounded pleased.

Kaoru didn't know how many acres the field was. It could have been ten or twenty or even fifty. It was a sea of flowers. All colors and kinds, a rainbow that had landed on the earth. At the western edge a silver river flowed alongside, the murmur of the water mingling with the songs of the birds. There were more butterflies. Not just the yellow-orange but green and blue and purple and the odd pinky-white.

At the farthest edge was a black wrought iron fence. This was the very edge of Battousai's land.

Kaoru stared speechless.

"It's beautiful," she told Kenshin honestly.

'You like it?' He asked.

"Yes!"

Kenshin gave her a gentle nudge and she shook herself out of her daze and walked down with him away from the forest and field of flowers. Kaoru at first tried to step carefully so that she wouldn't crush a flower but soon found it impossible as they came literally to her waist and she had to part them before she could move.

Kenshin wasn't faring much better and Kaoru had to laugh as his head bobbed along beside her, the rest of him hidden by the tall flowers. The only thing that didn't seem to be having difficulty was the picnic basket which continued to float along sedately in the air behind them.

"Having problems?" Kaoru asked as she watched Kenshin duck his head to avoid getting whacked by a lone sunflower.

'Not anymore,' he replied and levitated himself until he was striding above the flowers, his paws just brushing them lightly.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Kaoru cried.

Kenshin laughed softly and she suddenly found herself lifted upward, until she was standing just above the flowers. Eyeing Kenshin, Kaoru took a tentative step and was relieved to find she didn't crash back to earth.

Kenshin laughed again and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"You're not expecting us to have our picnic floating above flowers are you?" Kaoru asked.

'Of course not,' Kenshin said. 'We're eating next to the river.'

"Oh good," Kaoru said. A grin stole across her face. "Race you to the river!" And she took off before Kenshin could reply.

She managed to get there first, Kenshin following and the basket trailing along last of all. Kaoru had to giggle at the sight it made zipping quickly through the air.

"So?" Kaoru tapped her foot against nothing, still floating above the ground which had now become clear of flowers as they reached the riverbank. "How are we supposed to get down?"

'All you had to do was ask,' Kenshin replied and descended back to the ground, landing silently.

Kaoru followed a second later, her feet touching down lightly.

The picnic basket dropped a moment later.

"It's really lovely," Kaoru murmured. The flowers had stopped several feet before they touched the riverbank, forming a kind of circle around the lush grass. The river continued to flow easily by, the sound it made soothing. Kaoru caught a flash of a silvery fish darting just below the waters.

'I'm glad you like it,' Kenshin replied.

Kaoru flashed him a grin and then went over to the picnic basket and opened it. Neatly folded at the top was a soft red blanket and she pulled it out of the basket and spread it out along the ground.

Her hand next touched a small glass container with a lid on it. It was water, several slices of lemon and lime floating through it. Kaoru placed it on the blanket and then found a small glass to use as a cup and forks and knives contained in a napkin. There were several more napkins and Kaoru placed them on the picnic basket. Underneath them, it was revealed, was the food.

"I am never going to be able to eat all of this," Kaoru told Kenshin.

There were several small containers one which looked to contain pasta, another various types of fruit – Kaoru spotted blueberries and strawberries and pineapples, something else looked vaguely like egg salad and there were carrot sticks with some sort of dipping sauce to go with them.

That was only the first layer Kaoru cleared away. The basket seemed bigger on the inside than on the outside and she found herself reaching in and pulling out containers of beef and chicken and a steak for Kenshin. There was a wrapped loaf of fresh bread and triangle of creamy yellow cheese. Kaoru supposed they were to make a sandwich.

Putting all of them down on the blanket, Kaoru peered into the picnic basket once more and blinked. This must be the dessert layer. She saw brownies and chocolate chip cookies, some kind of pie and several slices of chocolate cake. Having been left tucked there at the bottom, Kaoru could only wonder at how they hadn't managed to become squished by the other food. Some sort of magic protection spell, she reckoned.

Having now emptied the picnic basket, Kaoru looked at it and shook her head.

"It's too much," she said to Kenshin who only grinned at her.

With a sigh, Kaoru flopped down on the blanket and poured herself a glass of water. It was still cold and had a nice aftertaste of lemons and limes. Kenshin curled up next to the her, the tip of his tail twitching.

"Thirsty?" Kaoru offered him the water but he shook his head.

"Here then," Kaoru placed the plate of steak in front of him and grabbed the container of fruit and began to eat.

Kenshin finished his steak quickly while Kaoru darted from food to food, trying out the pasta and egg salad and carrot sticks whose dipping sauce tasted vaguely of herbs. Not altogether a bad taste, just not one she'd been expecting.

Kaoru then made herself a ham and cheese sandwich, giving Kenshin the left over meat along with a rather pointed look until he began to eat obediently.

"If this is expected to be all eaten, you might as well help me do it." She told him.

Kenshin sighed softly but nibbled on his chicken.

"Good boy," Kaoru grinned and he snorted.

As she finished her sandwich, Kaoru looked and eyed the desserts. "Guess I'll just have to end up doing 'eeney,' 'meaney,' 'miney,' 'moe'." She decided. Closing her eyes she pointed at one of the desserts and when she opened them saw that it was a slice of the chocolate cake.

"Chocolate works," she shrugged and Kenshin laughed as she picked up the plate and stabbed a piece with her fork before taking a bite.

"Want some?" Kaoru offered.

'No thank you,' Kenshin murmured.

Kaoru finished the rest of her cake and then laid back in the grass sighing contentedly. She hadn't managed to eat even a quarter of all the food in the picnic basket but she felt pleasantly full.

"Stuffed," she muttered to Kenshin who flopped down beside her. "You need to tell the palace to stop packing so much food."

'I'll try,' Kenshin told her.

"Thanks," Kaoru smothered a yawn with the back of her hand. "Now I'm sleepy." The combination of a full stomach, the sound of the water, and the warmth of the sun was making her feel drowsy.

'Then go to sleep,' Kenshin urged her softly.

"Sounds like a plan," Kaoru agreed and snuggled against him. "I'm going to use you as a pillow 'kay?"

'I'm not a stuffed animal,' Kenshin grumbled softly.

"But you are comfy," Kaoru said around a yawn, letting her eyes drift shut. "Good night… or day… or whatever it is you're supposed to say when you take a nap."

If Kenshin replied she didn't hear, she was already fast asleep.

000

Kaoru woke slowly. By the light of the sun several hours had passed. It was now nearing twilight. The sun was beginning to sink down through the sky and the colors of sunset dyed the flowers, making them dark-tipped and deepening their shades of purple into near back, blue into midnight and rosy pink to deep red.

Kenshin must have fallen asleep not long after she had; curled up against her with his head on his paws and tail twitching ever so often as he dreamed.

Careful not to disturb him, Kaoru got to her feet. The picnic basket had been neatly packed up while she had napped. Kaoru didn't know if Kenshin had done it or if it was just another kind of magic that the basket might have other than storing huge amounts of food in such a tiny space.

The light had turned the silver river into one that resembled stained glass with the water reflecting the sky. In the water her reflection shimmered, staring back at her. Her reflection had changed somehow; her eyes seemed darker than she remembered. Kaoru reached out and skimmed her fingers across the surface of the water breaking the reflection.

The air was quieter. Most of the birds must have flown home to their nests for the night. Back to their families.

Kaoru sighed and raked her bangs out of her eyes, tucking a stray hair back behind her ear. She thought she had resigned herself to living in the palace, with Kenshin and Battousai. As far as such things went it was a nice place. They were trying to make it a home for her, she knew that.

She stilled missed her father. She still missed other people.

A soft sound had her head cocking to the side intently. She waited a moment and then she heard it again. Her head whipped around in the direction of the wrought iron gate and for a moment she felt her heart try to climb into her throat.

Glancing over her shoulder she found Kenshin had still not awakened. As quietly as she could Kaoru tiptoed over to where the river bank ended and the flowers began. As she approached she felt herself levitate until she was walking above the flowers, her feet just barely brushing the tops of them.

Kaoru did her best not to run, but even so she felt her pace quickening the nearer she got to the gate. As she cleared the flowers she once more touched down on the ground and raced over to it.

She stopped a few strides away.

It was another part of the City, a section that she had never been to just outside of the gate. She could see shops, a theatre, an art gallery. And people. So many, many people. They walked back the gate laughing and talking and seemingly oblivious to the fact that the gate was even there. One or two looked toward it as they passed but the look in their eyes was vacant. They did not register it even being there.

They did not see it.

They did not see her.

Kaoru wrapped her hands around the bars and gave the gate a shake. 'Hey!' She wanted to scream. 'I'm here! Right here! Look at me!' They were so close she could have reached out and touched them. But they did not see her.

'Kaoru.'

She whirled around to find Kenshin a few feet behind her. She hadn't even heard him approaching.

"They don't see me." She murmured softly.

'I know,' he said, his eyes were sad. 'They do not see me either. It's the enchantment that the palace and its grounds have on us. They do not see a palace or a field or flowers. They do not believe it is even here. So they do not see it.'

"We're invisible," Kaoru said.

'Yes.' Kenshin sighed softly and strode forward to stand beside her. Kaoru buried her fingers in his ruff, her hand tightening until the knuckles were white.

"Battousai isn't the only one under a curse."

'No he isn't,' Kenshin agreed quietly. 'In the darkness or in light, none of us can be seen.'

Kaoru sank down beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder. Kenshin purred softly in an attempt to soothe. It didn't help. Kaoru felt herself begin to cry. Kenshin let her cry against him until she was finished.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled softly after she was done. "I'm such a big baby."

'You're still adjusting to everything.' Kenshin murmured. '….Battousai and I. We've had years under this curse.' Too many years to count properly. Centuries…

"I hate it," Kaoru said. "What did you ever do to deserve it?"

Kenshin didn't reply and she sighed, getting to her feet slowly. "Let's go back. It's getting dark."

Kenshin nudged her hand and she rubbed his ears gently. "C'mon kitty cat."

He snorted softly but she felt better. Together they turned away from the gate and walked once more across the field, over the flowers and touched gently down upon the path leading back to the palace.

The walk back to the palace was a slow and quiet one. Kaoru didn't speak but reached out occasionally to rub Kenshin's ears or give him a pat on the head. He gave a soft soothing rumble and was a comforting press against her side as they walked.

They made it back to the palace just as full dark hit, the sun slipping behind the trees. Above their heads lights flickered on, floating lamps to illuminate their way.

'Are you hungry?' Kenshin asked softly as the door closed behind them and they stepped back into the palace hallway.

"No," Kaoru shook her head. "I'm still stuffed. I think I'll just go grab a book from the library and have an early night in."

'Okay,' Kenshin nodded. 'I will see you in the morning then.'

"Yeah," Kaoru managed a smile. "See you."

She gave Kenshin one last pat and then turned and walked away.

The palace seemed to know where she wanted to go and even though Kaoru just picked a general direction she found herself arriving at one of the libraries. Usually Kaoru would have lingered there for hours reading but not tonight. She dashed inside quickly and selected two books to read and then followed the hallways which once more in response to her wants led her to her bedroom.

There was a pair of pajamas laid out on the bed by the palace and Kaoru changed into them before crawling under the covers, settling against the pillows, and opening her book to read.

Slowly she felt some of her mood lift as she read. It was another fairy tale. Kaoru had been reading them a lot lately since she had come to the palace. She wasn't sure if it was because she wanted something to connect with or if she just wanted to be able to shake her head at the poor people in the tales and be glad that at least she wasn't going to end up devoured by a giant.

After finishing the book she set it down and blew out the light. Her nap during the day had cured any sleepiness she might have had and so she laid awake in the dark unable to sleep and her mind buzzing.

There was a soft creak as the door edged open and Kaoru felt more than heard Battousai enter the room.

"Hello," she murmured, pushing herself into a sitting position and peering through the darkness.

There was a pause.

"I thought you were asleep."

"Can't," Kaoru sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind an ear.

"How are you doing?" Battousai asked softly.

Kaoru gave a shrug, "better…. Worse… I don't honestly know." She scowled in the direction she could feel him in. "Will you at least sit down? You hovering in the dark is making me want to throw something at you. And believe me my aim is horrible so I might actually end up hitting you – on accident of course."

There was a soft laugh from Battousai and Kaoru felt the edge of the bed dip.

"Better?" Amusement laced his voice.

"Mmm," Kaoru murmured and pulled her knees up under her chin, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs. If she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes she could just barely make out the shape of him in the darkness. With a sigh of frustration Kaoru blew her bangs out of her eyes.

"What are you reading today?" Battousai asked.

"Fairy tales," Kaoru shrugged. "Since I've suddenly been dropped into the middle of one I may as well find out what I'm in for."

"And what are you 'in for'?" Battousai questioned.

"I don't know," Kaoru replied honestly. "You haven't tried to eat me or kill me in bed like Bluebeard the Pirate. I don't see any looms to weave straw into gold."

"I think there actually is a spindle somewhere in the palace," Battousai said musingly. "Let me get my hands on some straw and I'll see if you can make it into gold."

"You do that," Kaoru grinned. "It'll probably turn out as good as my cooking does."

"I've never tried your cooking."

"You don't want to," Kaoru assured him. "If I wasn't already cursed, I'd think being unable to cook would be part of it."

Battousai laughed again and Kaoru smiled. She liked making him laugh. He hadn't had much to laugh at in a long time she reckoned.

"What do you look like?" She asked suddenly.

"What… I look like?" Battousai repeated.

"I'd rather have an image of you in my instead of some shadow lurking in the corners."

"Oh," Battousai said. "I have red hair and violet eyes."

"That's it?" Kaoru asked.

She could almost hear him blink in puzzlement.

"Do you have any scars? Buckteeth? Freckles?"

"Buckteeth?" He echoed.

"I'm pulling ideas out of thin air," Kaoru shrugged. "Just telling me what color your hair and eyes are isn't very helpful since I can't imagine a face to go along with it."

"Imagine my face?"

"Yes," Kaoru nodded.

An idea suddenly sparked in her head.

"Come here," she patted the side of the bed next to her.

"Pardon?"

"I once went to school with a blind girl," Kaoru explained. "She used to touch people's faces in order to get an idea of what they looked like."

"Ah," Battousai said softly.

"Want to try it?" Kaoru asked.

"Sure," Kaoru got the impression of him nodding and felt the bed shift. A hand touched her shoulder and she tried not to jump.

"I'm right in front of you." Battousai murmured.

"Okay," Kaoru nodded.

Battousai touched her hands, guiding them upward toward his face. Carefully Kaoru skimmed the contours of his face with her fingers.

"Close your eyes so I don't accidentally poke you in the eye," she told him.

"I have them closed," he replied.

"Good," Kaoru bit her lip. She could feel an image forming in her mind. Hair, he said red long and past his shoulders. He had bangs and she had to brush them out of his eyes. High cheekbones and a strong jaw. She felt him wrinkle his nose as her finger brushed over it. Lightly, Kaoru traced the shape of his eyes and made a face in the dark.

"You have long eyelashes. That's not fair."

"Sorry?"

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him even though she knew he couldn't see it.

Finishing up she let her hands fall away from his face.

"So how do I look?" Battousai asked.

"Well you don't have three eyes and a horn." Kaoru replied.

"Good I was starting to get worried for a moment."

Kaoru grinned and shook her head. "Idiot."

"I've been called one in the past," he said cheerfully.

"How many people?"

"I've lost count."

"Idiot."

"Yep," he agreed easily.

Kaoru raised a hand to her mouth to cover a yawn.

"Tired?" Battousai asked.

"Mmm," Kaoru replied. The affects of her nap seemed to be leaving and she was now starting to feel tired again.

"If you're tired then go to sleep."

"I will," Kaoru promised.

"Good," Kaoru could almost feel his smile. "You need to rest."

"So says the man who is up at all hours of the night." Kaoru retorted softly.

"May I point out that you are up also?" Battousai asked.

Kaoru stuck her tongue out and he laughed softly.

"Idiot."

"Mmm," he replied easily. "Go to sleep."

"Going," Kaoru yawned again. She closed her eyes and settled back against the pillows and pulled the covers up under her chin. Not hearing Battousai move she opened her eyes after a moment.

"Aren't you going to go to bed?" She asked.

"I will," he answered. His voice was soft and there was a note in it that made her bite her lip.

He didn't want to go. Kaoru didn't blame him. Stuck hidden from everyone and only able to appear under the cover of darkness… Kaoru remembered how it felt to watch the people strolling by the gate and not noticing her…To be able to see and not touch and know that this was her new reality…

And he had been under this curse for she didn't want to know how long…

"Come here," Kaoru murmured.

He didn't want to be alone.

Neither did Kaoru.

She felt him settle himself alongside her, a faint line of warmth against her back.

"Good night Battousai," Kaoru said around another yawn.

"Good night Kaoru," he replied softly.

Kaoru murmured something softly in reply but was asleep before she finished the sentence.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

000

Kaoru woke the next morning alone. The side of the bed next to her was rumbled and she caught the faintest scent of ginger lingering in the air. A lone strand of red hair lay on the pillow and she blinked at it.

"Guess he wasn't lying when he said he had red hair." She murmured.

And having some kind of physical evidence that he was real and not a dark shadowy figment of her imagination was somewhat reassuring; Kaoru picked up the strand of hair and wrapped it around her fingers before letting it slip through them and fall back onto the bed.

She didn't know what time it was but it felt like she'd slept a lot… Late morning was her best guess, and she figured she better get up before Kenshin started scratching at the door or something like that.

Or considering the powers he'd shown, just phase through the door entirely and wake her up.

Kaoru would almost put it past him.

As if reading her thoughts she heard gentle knock against the door.

'Are you up?' Kenshin's voice floated through her mind.

"Yes," Kaoru replied loudly enough for him to here. 'Or I'm getting up anyway.'

She disentangled herself from the sheets and went to the door opening it to find a rather perky looking Kenshin waiting for her. If Kenshin had been a dog he'd be wagging his tail but the most it was doing however was twitching.

"Morning," Kaoru yawned.

'Morning!'

Kaoru nearly groaned. 'You had to be a morning person… cat…tiger… didn't you?'

'Yep!' Kenshin replied sunnily.

Kaoru groaned again. "I need coffee."

'Do you want me to get some?'

"No thanks I'll get it myself. Just point me in the direction of the kitchens again," Kaoru managed a smile at the eager tone in his voice. "You should have been a puppy."

Kenshin merely grinned.

"Who put happy pills in the kitty-cat food?" Kaoru asked.

She reached over to give his ears a scratch and he purred softly, eyes closing.

Kaoru gave him one last pat and straightened. "Okay I need coffee now. Otherwise my sentences are going to start sounding stupid and I'll begin to talk in monosyllables and grunts."

'Ah. Well we can't have that can we?' Kenshin nudged her gently. 'Let's get some coffee into you then.'

"I'll agree to that," Kaoru yawned. She felt half-asleep on her feet. Caffeine would be welcome.

Kenshin was nearly bouncing along beside her and Kaoru eyed him in half in annoyance, half in amusement.

"Did you get into the catnip or something?"

'Nope,' Kenshin cocked his head at her. 'Why?'

"No reason," Kaoru had to look away. Seeing him looking so energetic was making her feel even more tired. She was half-tempted to turn around and curl back up in bed. She wondered if she was coming down with something.

Kaoru yawned again and that made up her mind for her. "Going back to bed." She wanted sleep more than coffee right now.

'Are you feeling well?' The expression in Kenshin's eyes was worried.

"I'm fine," Kaoru murmured. "Just tired."

'Go back to bed then,' Kenshin told her. 'I'll get some books from the library if you want.'

"That would be lovely," Kaoru dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "I'm going to head back to bed and attempt to go back to sleep."

'Go then,' Kenshin said. 'Do you want me to bring something hot later? Tea? Coffee? Soup?'

Kaoru laughed softly, "You really should be a puppy instead of a tiger. Thanks Kenshin. I'd love some."

She turned and went back to her room and crawled underneath the covers. Closing her eyes she sneezed and groaned. "Great, I really am coming down with something. Note to self: no napping in the middle of a field when it's late Fall ever again." She sneezed once more and sighed miserably, pulling the blankets up around her.

Kaoru had managed to fall into a fitful half-doze when she heard the door creak as it opened and raised her head enough to peer in the direction of the door as Kenshin entered the room. There were two books floating in the air after him and behind the books was a tray with a mug of something that steamed and a chocolate muffin beside that.

Kaoru sat up and gave Kenshin a small smile. "Thanks."

The books floated over to the bed and landed beside her with a gentle thump and Kaoru caught the tray as it descended, balancing it carefully across her lap. "Thanks," she repeated and picked up the mug of what, she recognized, contained hot chocolate with two marshmallows floating inside of it.

The heat seeped into her hands and she sighed in appreciation, lifting it to her lips and taking a sip.

'Feeling better?' Kenshin asked softly.

"Not really," Kaoru admitted. She seemed to have developed a headache as she had dozed and her eyes felt like they were attempting to seal themselves shut. Her throat was sore and her nose felt stuffed up. From the looks and feel of it Kaoru was coming down with a bad cold.

She sneezed again and groaned as her head throbbed in response.

"I hate being sick."

Kenshin made a soft whining noise in his throat and she reached out and patted his head.

"Thanks for the muffin and hot chocolate but you might want to scat while I get over this cold. I'm a nasty sick person."

Kenshin snorted softly.

"Yeah?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "Wait until I start throwing things at you and refusing to drink the chicken noodle soup."

'Chicken soup isn't all it's cracked up to be.' Kenshin said. Kaoru suspected he was trying to be consoling.

"Especially after a week of nothing but it," Kaoru agreed.

'I'll try to switch it around with vegetable soup.' Kenshin replied.

"Ramen?" Kaoru asked hopefully.

The look Kenshin gave her had her rolling her eyes.

'No ramen.'

"Drat," she sighed.

'You're trying to get better not worse.' Kenshin told her. 'Ramen isn't good for you.'

"Tastes good," Kaoru muttered sulkily into her cup of hot chocolate.

'But it's not good for you.'

Kaoru finally sighed in defeat, drained her hot chocolate and pulled off a piece of her chocolate muffin, popping it into her mouth. She concentrated on eating for several moments grumbling under her breath about 'unfair kitty cats.'

She could feel the amusement radiating off of Kenshin and fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Childish as it may be, it would make her feel loads better.

'Do you want me to leave so you can take a nap?' Kenshin asked softly.

Kaoru shook her head and set the tray of now empty hot chocolate and half-eaten chocolate muffin down beside her. "You can stay if you want. I can't sleep. I think I'll just read or something for a bit." She patted the bed next to her. "The bed's comfier than the floor."

Kenshin gave her hand a quick nudge and then went over to the other side of the bed, leaping easily on top of it and settling himself down next to her. Kaoru gave his ears a gentle rub and then picked up one of the books he had brought her and settled back against the pillows to read.

"Eros and Psyche?" Kaoru blinked.

Kaoru felt the equivalent of a shrug from Kenshin. 'You've been reading a lot of fairytales and myths lately.'

"True," she admitted.

"Least it's not Persephone and Hades." Kaoru muttered. "Never did like the fact that he just kidnapped her."

Kenshin's tail twitched but she didn't notice it.

"Part of the reason I like Greek Myths so much is that the characters in them, the gods and goddesses and normal humans are flawed. They all have their weaknesses and strengths. They're not perfect and they don't really try to be..." Kaoru ducked her head as she realized she was rambling. "Sorry."

Kenshin laughed softly, 'you're fine.'

"Reading now," Kaoru opened her book and concentrated on reading it.

Kenshin laughed again and laid his head down next to her hand. She absentmindedly stroked his head as she read, sneezing every so often.

The book contained not just the myth of Eros and Psyche but the aforementioned Hades and Persephone, which Kaoru skipped muttering under her breath; as well as the story of Atalanta.

Kaoru soon finished the book and set it down with a sigh.

'Tired?' Kenshin asked.

'Mmm,' Kaoru agreed.

'Go to sleep then,' Kenshin urged.

'Don't wanna,' Kaoru grumbled.

Kenshin snorted and Kaoru thought she heard him mutter something that sounded like 'baby.'

She thumped him on the head and he yelped softly.

He looked at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

'You wouldn't be so cranky if you'd take a nap. You'd feel better too.' He pointed out.

"I'm not cranky." Kaoru retorted.

'Sure you're not…'

"I'm not!" Kaoru insisted.

Kenshin just looked at her.

"Gah," Kaoru grumbled. "Fine I'll take a nap." She flopped against the pillows and closed her eyes. "Happy now?" She muttered.

'Yes,' Kenshin sounded pleased and dodged the swat she aimed at his head.

"I hate you," she informed him.

'No you don't.'

"Yes I do."

'No you don't.'

"Shut up I'm trying to take a nap!"

Kenshin laughed again.

"Told you I'm a nasty sick person," Kaoru muttered.

'Go to sleep,' Kenshin said softly.

"I'm going," Kaoru said and sneezed again.

'Sleep,' Kenshin murmured.

Kaoru found herself nodding in agreement.

'Sleep.' The word echoed in her head.

'Sleep.'

Sleep…

000

It was dark.

'Great,' Kaoru grumbled. 'Even in my dreams it's dark and I'm blind. This is going to be fun.'

She took a step forward and the ground… floor… earth…. Whatever the hell it was…underneath her feet crumbled and fell away and she found herself tumbling head over heels down a long sloping hill. Kaoru just loved how weird her dreams were. Things happened out of the blue for no apparent reason yet they still made sense in a weird dream-way.

So while one part of her was going 'Ahh! Hill!' Another part was going, 'okay hill out of nowhere… ground falling out from under my feet… it's a dream… no biggie...'

Kaoru could feel the wind whipping across her face and gritted her teeth refusing to open her eyes. She didn't know why she didn't want to open them, but it made sense for some apparent reason. There was a soft splatter against her cheek that had the consistency and feel of mud and she groaned silently, fighting the urge to wipe it away.

'Tumbling down a never-ending hill and now I'm dirty. Great just great.'

After what seemed like forever she finally came to a stop.

Cautiously Kaoru opened her eyes.

Darkness met her vision and she shook her head. She might as well be going around with her eye closed that was how blind she was.

'Wonder what it means when it's dark and you can't see anything in your dreams?' Kaoru asked herself. 'Probably I should stop eating chocolate before bedtime.' She pushed herself to her feet, swaying slightly as she tried to reorientate herself. Once she felt she had a measure of her equilibrium back she took a careful step and was relieved to find the ground remained firm – if slightly damp and mucky – under her feet.

Fighting the urge to stick her hands out in front of her Kaoru started walking and was glad to find she didn't run into something like a tree or trip over a root. If being blind and dirty wasn't enough hurting herself would just top everything off.

And as soon as the thought crossed her mind she did stumble into something…Something that was solid and warm, and as she started to fall backward reached out and grabbed her arms to steady her.

Kaoru tried not to scream so all that came out of her mouth was a strangled sort of squeak. Her heart however had jumped up into her throat and become lodged there firmly.

"What are you doing here?"

The voice was familiar.

"Battousai?" Kaoru asked softly.

"What are you doing here?" He repeated the question sounding surprised.

"I… I don't know." Kaoru blinked. "Where are we… where is 'here'?"

"It's a shadow-land," Battousai answered. "A dream land…."

"Oh," Kaoru murmured.

Once more in the dream-world everything that was bizarre seemed to make sense and she found herself accepting it.

"So what are you doing here?" She asked.

"It's…" There was a pause. "Part of the curse."

"Oh," Kaoru murmured. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Battousai's voice was soft. "How did you get here anyway?"

"Feel asleep," Kaoru said.

It was as simple as that.

She felt him reach out and push her bangs out of her eyes. "You're burning up."

"Am I?" Kaoru asked in surprise. She felt a sneeze build at the back of her nose and ducked her head sneezing violently. "Great I'm even sick here in a dream." She complained.

Battousai gripped her arm gently and gave a tug. "Come on."

Kaoru blinked, "where are we going? Is there even a place to go to here?"

"There's a small cabin not to far from here." Battousai told her.

"Cabin?" Kaoru echoed.

"You think I'm going to let you stumble around here by yourself with a fever?"

"Um… no?"

"No is right," Battousai said firmly.

"Great," Kaoru sighed.

She let him pull her along, she didn't know how long for. Time passed by oddly and it could have been only a few minutes or several hours. The darkness didn't abate at all and so she had no way of telling.

"We're here."

Battousai stopped so suddenly she nearly knocked into him.

Narrowing her eyes, Kaoru peered through the darkness. "I don't see anything."

"There's a cabin in front of you."

'Yes an invisible one,' she wanted to say. Instead, "I'll take your word for it."

Battousai's grip on her arm loosened sliding down to touch her hand lightly and give it a gentle reassuring squeeze, fingers lacing through hers. "There's a bed in there and the Blackforest Witch who lived there before kept a good stock of herbs and so there should still be plenty left. I can make you something to help you feel better."

"Sounds good," Kaoru said and sneezed once more.

He touched her forehead lightly and she could almost feel his frown. "You're getting worse."

"I could have told you that," Kaoru sniffled, sneezing. "I hate being sick." Her voice sounded pathetic even to her own ears.

"Well, let's get you better then." Battousai squeezed her hand once more and started walking in the general direction of where Kaoru thought the cabin would be.

After a few strides he paused and there was a creaking noise. The ground beneath her feet turned from goopy mud to something that felt not unlike wood. The edge of a door frame brushed her arm as she went past and the smell of herbs suddenly filled the air.

She still couldn't see anything though.

"Watch out for the table," Battousai tugged her to the side just before she would have bumped into it.

"Thanks."

There was a scraping sound as a chair was pushed out of the way.

"Bed," Battousai murmured and Kaoru found herself propelled in the direction. The edge of the bed hit off her knees and she fell rather gracelessly onto the bed with a thump.

It hit her then how tired she was.

With a sigh, Kaoru crawled under the covers and let her eyes close. They weren't helping her see anything in the dark anyway. The bed underneath was firm and smelled strongly of lavender. Kaoru gave it a tentative poke. It felt like it was stuffed with hay rather than the feathers she was used to but was still fairly comfortable. With the tiredness settling into her bones now, Kaoru felt she could have happily slept on top of a rock.

She sneezed again and groaned.

She could hear Battousai moving through the small cabin. There was a brief flare of light and Kaoru opened her eyes to see a small red-gold fire flickering in the fireplace beneath a black kettle pot. Battousai was just a dark outline in the light and seemed to absorb it rather than letting it illuminate him.

He was muttering under his breath as he went around the cabin, Kaoru caught snatches of words that didn't make sense but didn't feel the answering flare of magic. A different language perhaps? She wasn't sure. How old was he again? Her thoughts were making her head hurt and Kaoru sighed.

There was a flicker of red that vanished and some of the light was obscured momentarily.

"There," Battousai said. "The tea's being made."

"Tea?" Kaoru echoed softly.

"Yes," Battousai answered.

There was a soft whistle from the kettle that grew steadily louder and higher-pitched. This time Kaoru felt a tingle of magic race along her skin.

"Sit up," Battousai murmured and touched her shoulder. There was the faint scent of herbs and Kaoru felt heat brush against her skin.

"Sit up," Battousai said again.

Kaoru nodded silently and pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Here," there was a touch against her hand and Kaoru lifted it to wrap her fingers around a warm earthen mug. Her other hand came up to cradle it and she lifted it to her lips tentatively.

…It didn't taste bad… Not something she'd usually drink… It could have been worse though…

Kaoru made a face… "That isn't going to win any awards."

"It wasn't meant to," Battousai replied. He nudged the cup and Kaoru took another sip. "The taste has improved though."

"Eww," Kaoru shuddered at the thought.

"I put honey in it." Battousai said. "A lot of honey."

"Which explains why it tastes and feels like bad cough syrup," Kaoru answered.

There was a soft laugh and Kaoru felt the bed dip as he sat down next to her. "I tried."

"Points for effort," Kaoru took another sip and tried not to shudder. At least she could feel it working. Her head hurt less and didn't feel as clogged up as before. She hadn't sneezed again since she started drinking it either.

Too late…

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Kaoru sneezed violently.

"Here," Battousai murmured, wrapping his hand around hers and helping her steady her shaking hands. Kaoru squeaked softly as she felt him wrap his arm around her waist and pull her into his lap. "You'll spill it all over yourself if you're not careful."

"I'm trying to be," Kaoru muttered.

"Mmm," Battousai murmured in agreement, holding the cup up against her mouth. "Drink it."

Kaoru made a face but sipped it obediently. It didn't taste as bad this time. Maybe she was just becoming used to the taste. She fought the urge to shudder. Now that was a horrifying thought.

"Still tastes awful." Kaoru moved her head to the side after she felt she had drunk enough of the medicine. "You're really warm…" She murmured drowsily relaxing against him. She felt his fingers comb through her hair and pull her hair ribbon free. She sighed softly as some of the pressure on her head loosened and tried not to melt as he massaged the stiff muscles on the back of her neck expertly.

"You're going to put me to sleep," she muttered softly.

Battousai pressed a light kiss against her temple. "You need the rest; you're sick."

Kaoru sneezed again. "Be careful I don't get you sick," she warned.

Battousai laughed softly, "I don't think you could."

"If you get sick I will laugh at you." Kaoru informed him. "Loudly and cheerfully."

"Want to bet?"

Kaoru blinked, "…sure?" She said tentatively.

"If I don't get sick I get to kiss you."

Kaoru blinked, "… but if you kissed me wouldn't you get sick anyway?" Logic… logic was not her friend at the moment. Her head hurt and she groaned lifting her hand to massage her temples only to find Battousai was already doing it for her.

"You're cheating," she murmured softly, eyes closing. "I don't know how… but you're cheating."

"Well if I kiss you and get sick then you win. We both win." Battousai told her.

"And what do I get if I win?" Kaoru asked.

"I get a dose – literally of my own medicine." Battousai said cheerfully.

Kaoru snorted softly, "That's almost worth it."

"Almost?" Battousai sounded amused.

"Yes almost," Kaoru answered. "I'll know you're taking the medicine but I won't be able to actually see you taking it. Oh well, small victories I suppose."

"Deal?" He asked.

"Deal," Kaoru murmured. She sighed as a particularly tense knot in her neck loosened. "Massage too," she instructed.

"Sounds like a plan," she could sense the smile in his voice.

"Mmm," Kaoru yawned. "I'm sleepy… when I wake up 'kay?"

"Sleep," Battousai told her.

Kaoru felt a purr rumbling up her throat as he started to rub her back. "…Cheating…"

"Go to sleep."

"Cheat…" Kaoru mumbled as she fell asleep.

The sound of his laughter followed her into dreams.

000

Kaoru woke to blackness and she wondered why she even bothered to open her eyes. She could see as much with her eyes open as she could with them closed. Which in other words was absolutely nothing.

She was wonderfully warm and sighed softly, snuggling against her pillow.

Wait… pillows didn't have heartbeats.

Kaoru shot up so fast her head knocked against the underside of Battousai's jaw and they both yelped in pain.

"Oww!" Kaoru could make out the vague outline of stars dancing in front of her eyes.

"Where'd my pillow go?"

"What pillow?" Battousai asked carefully, sounding half-asleep. "There weren't any pillows on the bed."

"But…" Kaoru blinked and then groaned, letting her head fall back down. "My head hurts." She pushed away his hands. "No, it's your fault."

"My jaw hurts," Battousai countered. "That's your fault."

"And you suppose that I'm going to kiss it and make it better?" Kaoru muttered.

"…. You do owe me a kiss."

"No," Kaoru said firmly.

"Oh?" Battousai said. "Why not?"

"Several reasons," Kaoru ticked them off on her fingers. "My head hurts. I'm sick. You cheated. And if I did try to kiss you I'd probably miss because I can't see anything."

"Good reasons," Battousai agreed. "But… it's your fault my jaw hurts. You are not sick and neither am I."

"Yet," Kaoru interjected.

"…I did not cheat," he continued. "And even though you can't see well in the dark, I can see perfectly fine so you don't have to worry about missing or falling off the bed."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, "you are being reasonable, which is not helping my head. I hate you."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't."

"Yes I do…" Kaoru groaned and rubbed her temples. "This is not helping my head."

"Here," Battousai murmured, pushing her hands away from her temples and replacing them with his own. Kaoru felt a faint tingle of magic and the ache in her head receded.

"Cheat," Kaoru muttered.

"Course not," Battousai pressed a light kiss against her forehead. "Feel better now?"

"Mmm," Kaoru admitted reluctantly. "I get to kiss you now?"

"Yep."

"Don't sound so happy about it."

Battousai laughed.

"Okay…" Kaoru blew her bangs out of her eyes. "You do realize I can't see you right?"

"Yes."

"Glad we've got that problem sorted out," Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"It's easy enough to fix," Battousai said softly.

"Oh?" Kaoru arched an eyebrow.

"Give me your hands."

"Sure," Kaoru blinked. Battousai touched her hands gently, his fingers twining through hers and lifting them upward. His hold loosened and placed them gently against the side of his face so she was cradling it between her hands.

Kaoru felt a curl of nervousness in her stomach and pushed it away. It was just a kiss, she reminded herself. A single, simple kiss. So why was she so nervous?

'Okay,' she thought. 'Here goes.'

She leaned forward and ended up misjudging the distance entirely, cracking her head solidly against his for the second time this night.

"Oww!" Kaoru's hand flew to her nose. "That was a bad idea – not a bad idea really – but a badly executed idea."

"I agree," there was amusement in Battousai's voice and her eyes narrowed into a glare.

"If you laugh I will hurt you."

"I'm not laughing. Just amused," there was a pause. "And seeing double… okay… now I can see correctly again…"

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him and huffed.

"Well this is an interesting predicament."

"If you say so," Kaoru grumbled under her breath.

"I do," there was a grin in his voice and she rolled her eyes. "Try again?"

"You're incorrigible."

Battousai laughed and she reached out and smacked him, connecting solidly with his side. He made a yelping noise and she grinned. Guess her aim was improving.

"Idiot," she muttered.

"An idiot who still hasn't been kissed yet," He agreed.

"No," Kaoru reached to smack him again. "You have run out of chances for kisses today. Hey!" She yelped as he caught her hand and used it to pull her against him.

"Relax," Battousai murmured. He uncurled her hand and placed a light kiss in the center of her palm. "I think it'll work out better if I kiss you. Since I can see in the dark and you can't."

"I'm really starting to hate it when you're logical." Kaoru grumbled.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do. I really, really do."

"No you don't."

"Idiot," Kaoru grumbled.

"Mmm," Battousai agreed.

"So…?" Kaoru took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I kiss you now?"

"Don't sound so enthusiastic," Battousai murmured softly a thread of laughter in his voice.

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him.

Battousai gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then let it go. Kaoru felt him touch the side of her face gently and her eyes fluttered close. There were callouses on the pads of his fingertips. He was someone who worked with his hands – or had worked with them prior to being cursed.

"Swords," Battousai answered her unvoiced thought.

"Were you any good?" Kaoru asked.

"I… I was," there was sadness in his voice and his hand fell away from her face.

Kaoru opened her eyes. "Battousai?" She questioned softly.

"It's nothing."

"You're lying," Kaoru said. She reached out, her hand brushing against the side of his face and tangling with a loose strand of hair there. She wrapped her fingers around it and gave it a firm yank. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying," Battousai answered softly. "I just… do not wish to discuss it that I do not."

"Then I won't press you," Kaoru murmured letting his hair slide through her fingers. "But please do not lie to me."

"I would never lie to you," Battousai promised.

Kaoru smiled slightly, "thank you."

"You're welcome."

Some of the tension in the air disappeared and Kaoru sighed, letting herself fall forward to lean against him, tucking her head underneath his chin. Battousai pulled her more firmly against him, wrapping his arm around her waist and stroking her back lightly.

Kaoru sighed again letting her eyes close and breathing in the scent of ginger that always seemed to linger around him. A strand of hair brushed against her cheek and she wrapped it idly around her finger, thumb stroking it.

She felt Battousai pull back slightly and push her bangs out of her eyes, laying a kiss against her forehead.

"Better?"

"Mmm," Kaoru murmured without opening her eyes. "You?"

There was a smile in his voice, "yes."

"I'm glad," Kaoru said truthfully.

"Kaoru?" His tone of voice made her name a question and Kaoru opened her eyes.

"Yes?"

"How you read my face before…" Battousai hesitated. "May I do the same to you?"

"But you can see me," Kaoru blinked.

"I know," Battousai said. "But may I?"

Kaoru nodded. "Yes."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Kaoru shrugged and ducked her head.

Firm but gentle fingers grasped her chin and forced her head back up. Her bangs were against pushed out of her eyes and another kiss was laid there. "Thank you." Battousai's voice was barely above a whisper.

Kaoru nodded and swallowed reflexively.

Closing her eyes she felt Battousai's fingers ghost across her features lightly, following the curve of her cheekbones and arch of her eyebrows. She tried not to wrinkle her nose as he touched it and heard him laugh a light kiss was placed on the tip. There was a quick feather-light stroke across the bottom of her lip, gone before she could open her eyes or even think to respond. Her hair was pushed back and tucked behind her ears the curve traced lightly, then just as carefully down the side of her face and along the column of her throat.

"You're beautiful," Battousai murmured.

"… Thank… Thank you," Kaoru fought down the lump in her throat. Her father had always said she was beautiful and she felt a stab of sadness as she remembered. She closed her eyes and leaned against him once more.

Battousai said nothing, simply kissed her forehead silently again. He tilted her face upward and Kaoru felt the warm brush of mouth across her forehead and closed eyelids, her cheeks.

"May I kiss you?" The words were breathed against her mouth.

"Yes," Kaoru murmured softly.

Kaoru felt his hand slide through her hair until he cupped the back of her head, tilting it back slightly. His other hand moved downward to rest lightly against the small of her back.

"Relax," he said softly against the shell of her ear.

"I am relaxed," Kaoru muttered.

"No you're not," Battousai argued, his voice had lowered to a whisper as soft as silk and Kaoru shivered. There was gentle pressure at the base of her skull and Kaoru felt a purr rumble up through her throat her body melting. Pressure points or something she supposed…

"Now you're relaxed," Kaoru would have poked him for the tone of his voice but she couldn't find the energy.

"Cheat," Kaoru muttered but even that lacked any bite to it.

"Mmm," Kaoru didn't know if he was agreeing with her but she had a suspicion.

"Are you going to kiss me now?"

"You're starting to sound impatient," Battousai sounded amused.

"I'm going to fall asleep," she informed him.

"We can't have that can we?"

Kaoru opened her mouth – to agree or disagree with him she didn't know – when he finally did kiss her. It was careful, bordering on shy, the kind of kiss you'd get on a first date. A tingle raced through her and a gold-edged burst of light exploded across the backs of her eyelids.

Magic.

There was no other word for it.

A distorted jumble of images raced through her mind. The sun shining off a hilt of a sword… A blooming white rose. Snow, the pristine white of the freshly fallen…. As she watched a scarlet stain started to flood it. Blood. Someone was screaming the sound rising to a wordless roar of pain and anger and betrayal.

Then as quickly as the images had appeared they disappeared, fading away completely. A single petal fell free from the rose spiraled downward and then dissolved into sparks of white-gold light.

Kaoru opened her eyes to find she was shaking. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it knocking against her ribcage and her hands had fisted themselves tightly in Battousai's shirt.

"What…" Kaoru tried to form the words but found herself failing. "What was that?"

"Memories," Battousai's voice was hollow.

"Your… memories…."

"Yes," Battousai had gone tense against her. "I'm sorry. I didn't…" She heard him take a deep breath and there was a fall of hair against her shoulder as he turned his head away.

"Another thing you don't want to talk about?" Kaoru guessed softly.

"Yes. I'm sorry but there are things that are…" Too close… Too personal…Hurt too much….

Battousai didn't say it but Kaoru sense them in the way he went rigid against her. She touched his arm lightly and a shudder coursed through him.

"I'm sorry."

"And I'm going to hit you." Kaoru informed him cheerfully.

There was a pause.

"Pardon?" He asked faintly.

"You don't need to say sorry. You have nothing to be sorry for." Kaoru told him.

"I'm…" he caught himself and forced a weak chuckle.

Kaoru wrapped her fingers through a strand of hair and pulled his face down to hers. This time her aim was better and she didn't end up smashing her head against his. She gave him a light kiss at the corner of his mouth and felt him smile.

"Thank you," he murmured.

"Mmm," Kaoru murmured and let herself lean against him. She felt him push her hair off her neck and knead the muscles there. "You're going to make me fall asleep." She muttered. She suddenly felt so very, very tired.

"You need to go now," Battousai told her. "You're waking up and the dream is ending."

"'M not waking up," Kaoru agued softly. "I'm falling asleep…"

"You are waking up Kaoru," Battousai said. "Go. I will see you soon."

"'Kay," Kaoru agreed quietly and then everything around her dissolved.

000

Light was streaming cheerily through the windows and Kaoru caught sight of fluffy clouds against a background of blue sky.

Had she slept the entire day and night through onto the next day?

Kaoru yawned and pushed herself into a sitting position her hand brushing against soft fur. Kenshin was curled up beside her asleep. The early morning sunlight edged his fur with gold. He stirred at her movements, opening sleepy golden eyes and raising his head.

"Hey," Kaoru reached over and stroked his ears.

'Morning,' Kenshin yawned and then let his head fall back onto the bed. 'You slept a long time. Are you feeling better?'

"Yes," Kaoru grinned her cold had completely gone.

'Oh good,' Kenshin murmured. 'Because I think I'm getting sick.' And then he sneezed loudly and groaned.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next few days passed quickly for Kaoru.

She soon found herself falling into an easy pattern that marked out the way the days would go by: she was woken by Kenshin early in the morning, followed by a quick bath and a change of the clothes for the day. After that she would have breakfast with him and a quick stop in the library for a book or two to read for the day and they would go off exploring the grounds.

Kaoru would then find a place to read with Kenshin curled up beside her and that was how the day flowed around them with breaks for lunch and dinner. Afterward Kaoru would head to bed and wake a few hours later when Battousai appeared.

Kaoru soon noticed that she wasn't falling asleep as quickly as before and managing to stay up most of the night talking with Battousai. It was an unwritten rule that they did not ask about each other's pasts; it wasn't that Kaoru wasn't curious but it would mean she would have to talk about her father and she was still grieving. It was a subject too close to her heart.

She still woke every morning with tears in her eyes and wondered if it would ever end. She was growing to love the palace and its grounds, becoming fond of both Kenshin and Battousai. The ache was fading but at times it would flare up, the pain stealing her breath and tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She missed her former life, her life beyond the gates of the palace.

Give herself time, Kaoru decided. After all wasn't it said that time healed all wounds?

000

There was a whisper of foot against the polished wood of Kaoru's floor and she stirred.

"I can hear you Kenshin," she informed him without opening her eyes.

'Drat.' Kenshin sighed. 'Did I wake you?'

"No," Kaoru did open her eyes then. "I was just lying in bed. I'm too lazy to get up yet." A lie yes, but it was a good lie she decided. She had other reasons for not wanting to get up today. Her heart constricted painfully at the thought and she felt a lump form in her throat.

Time had passed faster than she had expected here in the palace. The Day had seemed so far away when she had first agreed to come live with Battousai and Kenshin. She had woken up today with the same pain in her heart that appeared once every year. On the anniversary of; That Day.

'Ah,' Kenshin murmured. He nudged her hand and she obligingly scratched his ears.

"Don't want to get up," Kaoru grumbled softly and pulled the covers over her head.

'Why not?' Kenshin asked batting gently at her covers with a paw.

"I just don't want to," Kaoru said quietly. "I just want to stay in bed all day and have a lazy day."

'Leave me alone,' she added silently. 'Please.'

'You're not sick again are you?' Kenshin's voice was concerned.

"No," Kaoru finally pushed down the covers so her head could appear. "I just don't want to get up today."

'Ah,' Kenshin murmured. 'Want some company?'

He wouldn't leave her alone if she said no anyway.

"Sure," Kaoru said resignedly and patted the side of the bed next to her. 'Feel free.'

'What's wrong?' He asked, curling up beside her, resting his head on his paws.

"Nothing," she murmured softly.

'When you say 'nothing' it actually sounds like 'something'.' He remarked.

"It's nothing Kenshin." Kaoru answered. "Please just leave it."

Kenshin didn't say anything but Kaoru couldn't meet the concerned look in his eyes.

'Kaoru… If something is bothering you please tell me.'

"It's nothing Kenshin,' Kaoru answered. 'Please… just drop it.'

She heard him sigh and closed her eyes, pulling the covers once more over her head.

She felt him stir after a moment and sighed softly. Finally, he was going and would leave her in peace…

Instead he padded toward her and started nudging at her firmly.

Kaoru was entangled in her blankets and couldn't push him away and yelped as she rolled off the bed and landed with a loud thump upon the floor.

Working her hands free of the blanket and shaking her head free of it she looked upward at Kenshin standing over her at the edge of the bed and glared. "What was that for?"

'You are being sad and sulky and not telling me why.' Kenshin's golden eyes gleamed. 'So you do not get to stay in bed all day moping. There are things you can do to make yourself better.'

"Oh yeah?" Kaoru arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"

'Making chocolate chip cookies and cake,' Kenshin said cheerfully.

"Kenshin I can't cook." Kaoru's eyes widened.

'Of course you can! Come on I'll teach you. It'll be fun!'

Kaoru looked mournfully at her bed. "Can't I just stay in bed?"

'No.'

Kaoru glared at him and he glared back his gaze unwavering.

"Fine!" Kaoru threw her hands up in exasperation and clambered to her feet. "I hope you get food poisoning."

Kenshin just laughed and leapt off the bed landing soundlessly beside her. 'Let's go,' he nudged her and easily dodged the swat she aimed at his head.

'Come on,' Kenshin's voice was far too cheerful for her liking. She thought she caught a trace of smugness in it. 'Let's go to the kitchen.'

"I repeat that I hope you get food poisoning," Kaoru replied just as cheerfully. "And I will not take care of you while you are sick."

'You're cruel,' Kenshin's ears drooped slightly.

"You think I'm cruel? Wait until you taste my cooking." Kaoru told him.

'Kitchen,' Kenshin said firmly and gave her a shove, pushing her through the door that opened at their entrance. It closed shut behind them and Kaoru eyed it and sighed. She wouldn't put it past the palace to lock it to keep her out of it either.

Squaring her shoulders resignedly, Kaoru marched down the hallway with Kenshin at her heels. After a moment when he saw she had stopped balking he sped up to pad along beside her, tail waving in the air. Kaoru fought the urge to reach out and give it a tug.

She was in a bad mood and it wasn't doing her any good. Kenshin seemed determined to make her feel better and she might as well go along with it. Hopefully after she blew up the kitchen he'd see the error of his ways and let her crawl back into bed for the rest of the day.

"So…" Kaoru said tentatively. "What kind of cookies do you want to make?" Not quite an apology but close enough that Kenshin saw it for what it was.

'Chocolate chip is relatively simple,' he mused. 'We could make butter cookies too. And a simple chocolate cake perhaps.'

Kaoru snorted softly, "you sure you don't have a sweet tooth?"

'Oh I'm not eating it,' Kenshin grinned. 'Chocolate has been known to have feel-good properties. All of it is for you.'

"You and the palace are in a conspiracy to get me fat." Kaoru grumbled.

Kenshin just laughed.

Kaoru forced a smile.

She could feel some of her bad mood dissipating but the ache in her heart refused to fade. She reached out and gave his ears a gentle rub. "I'm not inflicting my horrible cooking on just myself. You have to eat some of it."

'Okay,' Kenshin said agreeably. She wasn't sure if he heard her or was just agreeing with whatever she was saying so she wouldn't stop rubbing his ears.

Kaoru shook her head. Poor sucker didn't know what he was in for.

Oh well he could remain oblivious for a little while longer.

At least until the explosions started.

000

'That doesn't look right,' Kenshin raised his head to peer into the bowl of cookie dough Kaoru was stirring. His voice was starting to sound concerned. 'Why do I think I see bits of eggshells in there?'

Kaoru frowned and eyed the bowl. "I thought I got most of it out." She shrugged. "Oh well, it can't really hurt I don't think."

'If you say so,' Kenshin didn't sound convinced. Kaoru had a feeling he was starting to have second thoughts about letting her cook in the kitchen. So far nothing had blown up but then again she hadn't turned on the oven yet.

"Done," Kaoru pulled the wooden spoon out of the batter with an audible popping sound as it came free that had Kenshin wincing.

'Is it supposed to be that lumpy?'

"Haven't a clue," Kaoru said cheerfully.

Kenshin didn't reply, just merely eyed the bowl with a steadily growing amount of trepidation.

Kaoru gave him a reassuring pat on the head and went to gather the pan. She tilted the bowl over the pan, pouring the batter into it.

'Kaoru! You're supposed to spoon it in! They're not chocolate chip cookies anymore!'

"Oops," Kaoru glanced down at the batter that had flowed… or had attempted to before sliding to a stop midway across the pan. "Chocolate chip cake?"

Kenshin looked like he wanted to bang his head against something.

"It should still be okay," Kaoru said consoling.

Kenshin just eyed the pan not appearing to be convinced.

With a shrug Kaoru dumped the rest of the dough into the pan, ignoring Kenshin's pained wince.

"Okay," Kaoru put her hands on her hips and looked over at the oven. "Show me how to turn this on?"

Kenshin blinked, 'you don't know how to turn on an oven?'

"I do… I'm just making you do it because there's less chance of something going boom if I do." Kaoru explained.

'Ah…' Kenshin's ears flattened slightly. 'I can't…'

"Why not?"

'Thumbs…' He sighed mournfully.

"Oh… right…" Kaoru bit her lip and looked at the oven. "Do you have a fire extinguisher or some kind of watering system?"

'I don't know,' Kenshin replied. 'Why?'

"Never mind," Kaoru said quickly.

Kenshin looked at her for a moment but didn't say anything.

"So…" Kaoru stepped over to the oven and eyed the various knobs on it. "What's the temperature? Five hundred?"

Kenshin's eyes widened. 'Three seventy-five,' he said faintly.

"Must have got it confused with cooking a casserole," Kaoru mused.

'I don't even think casseroles bake that high,' Kenshin's voice was a whimper.

"And this is why I never cook," Kaoru sighed.

'And you didn't tell me this, why….?'

"You were very adamant that I'd bake something." Kaoru replied.

'Oh,' Kenshin murmured.

Kaoru turned on the oven to the correct temperature and waited a moment for it to heat up. As the red light turned off she grabbed the pan and went to open the door and slide the chocolate chip cookie-cake into it.

'Wait!' Kenshin yelped.

Kaoru paused, "yes?"

'Letmemakeit,' Kenshin mumbled.

Kaoru blinked, "what?"

'Sit down,' Kenshin sighed. 'I'll make cookies.'

"But I thought…" Kaoru's voice trailed off at his look. Oh right magic. She nodded and sank down on a chair next to the table. "Have fun."

'Try not to touch anything,' Kenshin suggested softly.

Kaoru fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him but instead only nodded. It was good advice and would be best if she followed it. There was less chance of her setting something on fire that way.

Kaoru watched as various bowls floated out of the cabinets to land on the table. The box of flour poured itself neatly into a cup that emptied itself into the bowl. Three eggs levitated out of their carton cracking themselves neatly above the bowl, a cup and a half of water followed. A spoon rose into the air and stirred the batter briskly. Butter and chocolate chips and various other ingredients joined the mixture.

Kaoru watched silently and shook her head.

"I hate you." She informed Kenshin.

'You've been saying that a lot lately,' Kenshin grinned.

"Well this time I mean it." Kaoru answered.

Kenshin laughed softly and she stuck her tongue out at him.

As the box of flour rose into the air to head back to the cabinet Kaoru reached out and gave it a poke. She must have touched it harder than she'd meant to because flour flew through the air the majority of it landing all over Kenshin.

"Oops," Kaoru murmured looking at the now flour-dusted tiger.

Kenshin blinked slowly and she tried not to giggle. He even had flour on his eyelashes.

'You did that on purpose.'

"I didn't mean to get it all over you," Kaoru said honestly. "I have a vindictive streak that rears its ugly head every so often… I'm sorry."

Kenshin sighed and shook himself but the flour remained stuck to his fur stubbornly.

"Guess you'll need a bath after this." Kaoru said.

Kenshin muttered something under his breath that Kaoru couldn't catch but the tone was not happy.

"Yep, you're getting a bath," Kaoru decided her tone cheerful.

Kenshin's ears flattened but he didn't reply, concentrating instead on levitating a spoon into the batter and then spooning the cookie dough into the pan. Kaoru watched him do it and thought briefly about asking to help, but decided not to.

He probably wouldn't let her help anyway. Not after the first fiasco with the cookies and she hadn't even gotten to touch the oven.

The oven door opened and Kenshin slid the pan of cookies inside of it to bake. The timer went on and he sat back on his haunches with a sigh.

'There now all that we have to do is wait for them to bake.'

"Sounds good," Kaoru grinned. "Think we have time to give you a bath?"

'Bath?' Kenshin repeated faintly.

"Don't tell me you're one of those kitties who hates getting wet." Kaoru snickered.

'ThenIwon't,' Kenshin muttered quickly under his breath.

"And I'm not letting you walk around with flour stuck to your fur," Kaoru informed him. She gave the timer a considering look. "We have time while the cookies bake… Hey! Get back here!"

Kaoru lunged and grabbed his ruff just as he tried to turn and flee.

'No!' Kenshin wailed.

Kaoru half expected to see him dig his claws into the floor.

"You are getting a bath," she told him firmly.

Kenshin whined softly and gave her a pathetic look. 'I hate water.'

"You're still getting a bath."

'It's your fault I'm covered in flour,' there was a whine to his voice.

"And I'm solving that particular problem." Kaoru retorted. "By giving you a bath."

Kenshin's ears flattened. 'No.'

"Oh hush. You don't get to be sulky."

'Yes I do.'

"If I don't get to be sulky neither do you," Kaoru informed him.

'…I should have just left you in bed all day…huh?'

"Did that just occur to you now?" Kaoru batted her eyelashes at him.

Kenshin just glowered.

"Come on," Kaoru released him and patted his head consoling. "Let's toss you into the bath."

'But… the cookies…' Kenshin said.

"We have enough time," Kaoru replied. "Come on."

'Fine,' Kenshin sighed.

"Aww you sound so happy," Kaoru grinned at his expression.

'Mmph,' Kenshin grumbled.

Kaoru kept an eye on him as they walked out of the kitchen and through the hallways looking for a bathroom. He kept pace beside her and except grumbling every so often didn't complain nor did he attempt to bolt.

'Here we are,' Kenshin had all the enthusiasm of a person marching to his execution, as they paused in front of a large door.

"This is a bathroom?" Kaoru asked.

'Yep.'

"Okay then," Kaoru made a mental note of how it looked. She was still trying to figure out where everything was and the constant change and shift of the palace made that next to impossible. She still kept trying though.

'Do I have to take a bath?' Kenshin asked softly.

"Yes," Kaoru wrinkled her nose at the amount of flour he was covered in. "Kenshin if we put you into the oven you'd bake."

'You fault,' he muttered sulkily.

"We've already established that fact," Kaoru returned smoothly. "And as I said before we're fixing it." She turned the knob and pushed the door open. "In. Bath. Now. Go."

Kenshin sighed; ears drooping and Kaoru followed him into the bathroom, closing the door behind her so that he wouldn't flee. She knew she'd never catch him if he did.

Kenshin pressed himself against the wall giving the bathtub the evil eye. Kaoru rolled her eyes at his expression.

"Hot water or cold?" She asked.

'Neither,' he grumbled.

"Behave or else I'll put bubbles in it and wash you with girly scented shampoo. Do you want to smell like lilacs?"

Kenshin glared at her, 'you wouldn't.'

"Try me," Kaoru returned sweetly.

Kenshin glowered.

"Hot or cold?" Kaoru asked again.

'Warm.'

"You just have to be difficult don't you?" Kaoru rolled her eyes and turned the handles so that both hot and cold water gushed out and the resulting water was a nice and warm temperature.

'I don't like baths,' he replied.

"Afraid of the water?" Kaoru grinned.

'No,' Kenshin's ears flattened. 'I just don't like getting wet.'

"I'm not that fond of flour-covered kitties either." Kaoru informed him. "So whether you like it or not you are getting a bath." She looked over at the bathtub and saw that the water had already filled.

"Works fast," she murmured and reaching over she turned off the water and then looked back at Kenshin. "Bath's ready; get in."

Kenshin's lips pulled back from his teeth. 'Great.'

Rolling her eyes, Kaoru skimmed her hand over the surface of the water. Her aim was good and Kenshin yelped as he was doused.

"Ha! You're wet."

'I can see that.'

"Now you have no excuse to avoid the bath. So get in buster."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed but he didn't budge an inch.

"I will pick you up and toss you in there myself," Kaoru said.

Kenshin eyed her and snorted.

"I'm giving you the count of three." Kaoru said. "One…"

Kenshin continued to remain where he was.

"Two…" Kaoru raised a second finger as she counted off.

'Fine,' Kenshin took a step toward the bathtub his expression not pleased.

"Good bo– HEY!" Kaoru shrieked as he darted past her and jumped into the bath and she was drenched by water.

'Now you're wet.' Kenshin's voice was smug.

Kaoru pushed her sodden bangs out of her eyes and glared at him. 'Just for that I'm using the lilac shampoo on you.'

'Yuck,' Kenshin's nose twitched.

"Be good or I will," Kaoru threatened and reached for the nearest shampoo bottle. Opening it up she sniffed experimentally and found it to smell rather generic and soapy. It would do since Kenshin had an aversion to smelling like a field of flowers.

She poured some into her hand and worked it through Kenshin's damp fur from head to the tip of tail making sure to avoid his eyes and ears. It lathered up nicely and she grinned at the annoyed expression on his face. A few bubbles floated up and landed on his whiskers and he shook his head, sneezing.

"It's not that bad," Kaoru murmured consolingly.

'Yes it is,' Kenshin continued to insist.

"Baby," Kaoru snickered.

Kenshin sighed, 'done yet?'

"Almost have to rinse you off." Kaoru drained the bathwater and grabbed the showerhead nozzle that appeared above her head in response to her wishes. Turning the water on, she aimed it at Kenshin, working the shampoo out of his fur.

"Think I should condition you?" She asked turning off the showerhead.

'No.' Kenshin said firmly.

'Aww but it'd make your fur all soft and fluffy!'

Kenshin blinked at her and sighed, shaking his head. 'You're having way too much fun.'

"Yep," Kaoru grinned.

Then she started.

"Um Kenshin… what time do the cookies need to come out of the oven…?"

Kenshin's eyes widened. Before Kaoru could do anything he'd jumped out of the bath and streaked down the hall in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey get back here! You're all we- never mind…" Kaoru sighed. Wet floors were preferable to having the palace burn down in a kitchen fire.

Making sure not to slip she took off after Kenshin.

There was black smoke hovering in the air, so Kaoru opened a few windows to let it out. The cookies were not salvageable. Kaoru rather thought they looked like coal. She gave one a tentative poke and it crumbled into small pieces that reminded her of dust.

Coal dust.

"Oops," she gave Kenshin a sheepish look.

He glared at her, 'that was your fault.'

"How does this happen to be my fault?" Kaoru asked.

'If you hadn't been so adamant about giving me a bath then the cookies would have been taken out of the oven in time and be edible.'

"You were covered in flour!" Kaoru protested.

'Which was also your fault.'

"Right…" she sighed. "So, I guess no cookies today. Want to try baking a cake?"

Kenshin stared at her.

"Kidding!" Kaoru held up two hands in appeasement.

Kenshin muttered something under his breath that sounded like 'thank god' but Kaoru wasn't sure she heard correctly.

"Least you're dry," she said cheerfully. Kenshin had worked a drying spell through his fur and it had dried up all soft and fluffy, puffing up and then falling flat a moment later. She gave his ears a scratch and he sighed.

'So now what?' Kenshin asked.

"I'm going to bed." Kaoru informed him.

'You sure you're not still sick?' Kenshin asked.

"I'm not sick," Kaoru assured him. "I just want to go lie down for a bit."

Kenshin's eyes were concerned. 'Do you need anything?

Kaoru shook her head, 'no, but thank you." She gave his head one last rub and started walking out of the kitchen. "I'll see you later. Okay Kenshin?"

'Okay,' Kenshin murmured softly. 'I'll just stay here and finish cleaning up the kitchen.'

"You do that," Kaoru grinned and he rolled his eyes.

She gave a wave and left the kitchen.

As soon she was out of sight Kaoru let her shoulders slump and sighed, her hands coming up to rub her temples. Being with Kenshin had managed to push her sadness to the edge of her mind where the thoughts she had in her head now circled around waited. Once she was away from him she could let the grin vanish from her face and they filled her mind.

Today.

This Day.

She hated this day. It was the anniversary of all that she had lost, and had continued to lose.

She just wanted to curl up under the covers and let the day go by her, take as little active part in it as she could. Let it go by and run its course. Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow wasn't The Day.

The walk back to her room seemed shorter than she remembered. Kaoru wasn't sure if it was the palace responding her to wishes to be back, alone, and curled up in bed, but it seemed quicker to get to the room from the kitchen than before.

Closing the door behind her, she walked over to the window and pulled the blinds down so that the room turned dark and the sunlight was blocked. With a sigh she let herself fall into bed and pulled the covers over her head.

Closing her eyes, she slept.

And she did not dream. Odd that awake, she remembered and saw everything… but her dreams, her dreams were dark and she neither saw nor remembered anything… For a moment Kaoru almost envied Battousai his black-dream world. It was an escape.

000

She didn't know what woke her at first. Darkness met her eyes when she opened them. There was a soft, brief touch at her hair and she felt a faint line of warmth against her and the scent of ginger in the air. An arm was wrapped comfortably around her waist.

She knew then.

Battousai.

"Kaoru?" He asked softly. "Are you awake?"

She nodded wordlessly knowing that he could see it.

"What's wrong?" She felt him smooth her hair back behind her ear.

"Nothing," even to her ears it sounded like a lie.

"Something is wrong," he insisted softly.

"It's nothing," she replied letting her eyes close again.

"You're hurting Kaoru. Something is wrong." She felt him smooth his thumb against her cheek and leaned into the brief caress without thinking. "Tell me what is wrong."

"It is nothing Battousai, there is nothing wrong," She murmured.

"Why are you lying Kaoru?" His arm around her waist tightened and she found herself pulled against him. Her head fell against the crook of his neck and she inhaled the scent of ginger from his skin.

"I'm not lying," she murmured. "It's just sometimes a lie is preferable to the truth. You can pretend nothing is wrong, that nothing has happened if you keep telling yourself nothing happened and that there is nothing wrong. I'm not lying. I'm just pretending what I'm saying is the truth."

"You're lying to yourself," Battousai stroked her back gently and she sighed.

"I guess I am," Kaoru said softly.

"What are you lying to yourself about?" Battousai asked. "What are you trying to pretend never happened?" He rolled suddenly so that she was on top of him, head tucked underneath his chin and his hand still moving gently up and down across her back. Pushing her hair off her neck and shoulders he rubbed at the muscles there and she sighed softly, going limp against him. "What are you trying to forget?"

Kaoru's mouth formed the word 'nothing' but what came out was, "Memories." Why couldn't she lie to him? Keep telling him nothing was wrong, and nothing had happened, and then, sooner or later he would drop it. He would leave her be. But he wouldn't, and so she couldn't, so she told him, "I don't want to remember."

"Remember what?" Battousai pressed a kiss against her forehead.

"Remember…" A lump formed in Kaoru's throat. "I don't want to…"

The charred out building that had been her family's dojo, a skeleton…a shell of what it had once been… The acrid smell of smoke in the air… the flashing lights and harsh wail of the ambulance… the burnt taste left on her tongue when she took a breath…

And her father….

Daddy…

Oh Daddy…

He had been strapped into a gurney and they had been placing him into the ambulance but she had gotten a glimpse of him… his face burned and blackened, his hand mangled and shattered and him covered in blood…

"Kaoru?" A touch against her cheek brought her back to herself.

"Y… Yes?" She hated how her voice sounded.

"You're crying," she felt his thumb swipe across her cheek and there was moisture on her face. Tears… she was crying…

She shook her head and buried her face against his chest, winding her fingers tightly in his shirt. The fabric was soft and ginger-scented and she breathed deeply trying to chase away the ghost-smell of smoke and ash that lingered with her memories.

"Why are you crying Kaoru?" Battousai's arms tightened around her briefly in a hug and her fists spasmed around the material in her hands, a lump formed in her throat and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. "Tell me why you are crying Kaoru. Please tell me?"

"I can't!"

"Tell me Kaoru," Battousai repeated his voice soft and soothing. Kaoru didn't find any comfort in it. "Please tell me. Please?"

"It hurts too much… I can't."

"Kaoru…" his voice was a sigh. "Show me then."

"Show you?" She repeated softly.

"Share your memories with me," he murmured. "Let me see what you see. Share your grief."

"Spread it around and lessen it," Kaoru said.

"Yes," she felt him tuck her hair back behind her ear.

"How do I do that?" She questioned.

"Remember?"

The kiss…

What she had seen… The images that had filled her head as he had kissed her.

"Yes," she murmured.

"Show me," he said.

Kaoru closed her eyes and nodded. Show…share… Allow the wound to heal… She felt his lips brush hers and then the world around her shifted and the sensation of magic darted like lightning across her skin.

It was That Day again. Kaoru recognized it. She remembered thinking what a nice day it was, the sky had been bright blue with fluffy clouds and there had been a slight breeze. For late autumn it had been a relatively warm day and she had only needed to wear a light jacket.

She could feel Battousai behind her but when she turned to look back nothing met her eyes.

"This is it?" He asked softly.

"I can't see you but I can hear you?" Kaoru blinked.

There was the feeling of him shrugging, "that's how it works, I guess."

"Ah," Kaoru replied. "Yes… this is… the day."

She looked skyward and saw a curl of smoke rise into the air, pitch black against the blue-blue sky. Her throat tightened and without realizing it, she found her step speeding up. She was reliving the day, she was reenacting the day.

Her feet moved by their own volition and she found herself retracing the path back to the dojo. Kaoru felt a touch at her elbow and even though she couldn't see him, she could feel Battousai's presence.

Without her realizing it her steps quickened and as the black smoke hovering in the air grew thicker; she bolted forward into a flat out run, her feet racing over the ground and a lump formed itself in her throat.

It was happening all over again…

She turned the corner leading into her street and raced down it. In front of her house were fire trucks and an ambulance. Smoke was everywhere, the smell of it crawled into her nose and down her throat so that when she swallowed she could taste it in her mouth. Charred… burnt…

Her home… the dojo was a husk of what it had once been; a charred and blackened skeleton. Tears were falling down her face but she didn't heed them.

Unwillingly her eyes drew back to the ambulance and she was stepping toward it. The door to it was opened and she could make out a small figure strapped onto a gurney. Small… Kaoru had never thought of her father as a small man… his face was burned and he was covered in blood. His hand… oh his hand…

He would never hold a sword again in his life.

Daddy…

Oh Daddy…

Daddy…

Something inside Kaoru shattered and the tears began to fall in earnest. Sobs tore through her and she closed her eyes, wrapping her arms tightly around herself.

There was a soft touch at her shoulder and she turned, burying her face against Battousai's chest. Arms came up to hold her close as she cried. She could feel his shirt turning damp against her cheek from her tears.

"Come," Battousai murmured. "Let's leave."

Kaoru managed a nod and felt the world around her dissolve and everything turned blissfully black.

When she opened her eyes once more she was back in her room, in her bed. Battousai was still holding her and allowing her to cry. She did so for several more minutes, until he felt the tears begin to slow and then finally stop.

"Better?" Battousai questioned softly.

"I don't know," Kaoru replied honestly. Honestly, because she could not lie to him. What she wanted to say was 'yes' but that would have been a lie and so she found she was unable to say what she wanted to.

"It will get better. It'll take time… but it will get better."

"How much time?" Kaoru asked softly.

"A lot of time," he was being honest as well.

"But it will stop hurting?" Her voice sounded almost childlike.

"It will," Battousai assured. She felt him brush her bangs out of her face and kiss her forehead. "It will stop hurting, I promise."

"You keep your promises?"

"Yes," Battousai rubbed her back softly. "Sleep Kaoru. Go to sleep, it will help."

"I'll dream…" She murmured.

"Not this time." He told her. "Sleep. Go to sleep."

Kaoru felt tiredness sink into her bones and sighed softly. "Sleep…" she murmured drowsily.

"Sleep," Battousai said again.

She nodded and let her eyes drift close. The scent of ginger filled her nose. Sleep claimed her instantly. And she did not dream. She did not dream of the future or the past. She dreamt of nothing at all. He had kept his promise.


	6. Chapter 6

Kaoru woke slowly. There was no light in the room. Through the window she could make out the sky, dark and inky black and just starting to become dotted with stars. It was too early for Battousai and too late for Kenshin. For once she was alone.

Alone, Kaoru tasted the word on her tongue. Alone, actually alone.

She rolled out of bed. The floor against her feet was cool and she wiggled her toes against the polished wood.

Alone. There was freedom in the word and Kaoru moved to the door, opening it and peering around the corner.

Nothing.

There was no sign of anyone or anything there.

Feeling not unlike a teenager trying got sneak out of the house, as opposed to one who was merely sneaking around it, Kaoru slipped from her room. They had never said she couldn't explore the palace by herself. She just hadn't done so before.

The floorboard under her foot squeaked and she cursed softly. Of course… It was the biggest cliché there was. Just when she was trying to be quiet, something would keep her from truly being so.

Deciding to ignore it, Kaoru concentrated on walking and tramped down firmly on the feeling she was doing something wrong. She wasn't. She was just walking around the palace in the middle of the night unattended. There was nothing wrong with that at all.

The hallway was darker than even her room had been and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She was glad there were no statues or plants in the hallway, as she would have undoubtedly crashed into them. As she turned a corner she found herself in a hallway she had never been before. There were small windows, high up along the wall running the length of the corridor. Moonlight streamed through them, edging everything with silver and giving light enough to see comfortably by.

She had found herself in a hall of portraits.

A few she recognized from history books as she wandered by. Past heroes and kings of the country... People whom she had seen and learned about in history books and celebrated on National days. For some reason she felt this was more than just a gathering of old heroes and kings.

As she walked down the hall she tied the portraits of the people she saw in her head. Founder of the first ruling dynasty in the country and he who had destroyed it… The one who had brought peace after the chaos and whose descendants had started the second dynasty... The hero who had saved the country almost single handedly from the invaders in the north…

Kaoru's brows pulled together in a frown. There was a connection here… she just couldn't put her finger on it…

As she came to the end she felt a chill descend over her. This portrait… there was something wrong with it… Something didn't quite feel right about it. The subject was a young woman in white with long black hair.

It was her eyes, Kaoru decided.

They were black. Bottomless black. A dark inky color the color of the night sky without stars. And they were as cold as ice. Looking into them Kaoru's stomach twisted. Pulling her eyes away from the woman's with effort she let her gaze land on the portrait beside it.

It had been shredded.

Where the subject's face and head would be there was nothing. It was as if someone had taken a knife to the canvas and just hacked at and it kept hacking at it until it wasn't recognizable anymore. The strips of canvas had been yanked away and Kaoru could see the wooden backing through the gaps of what remained attached to the frame.

Her feet moved before she realized it and Kaoru stepped toward it, reaching out to grasp a piece of the canvas. As her fingertips touched it a shock traveled up her arm and she gasped, letting it fall from suddenly nerveless fingers.

What was that? She shook her hand out trying to regain some sort of feeling.

The woman's eyes seemed to be mocking.

Kaoru scowled at her. Why had it been the other picture that had been attacked and not hers? Given the choice she knew what she'd choose. That portrait was unnerving and giving her the creeps.

There was the sound of footsteps behind her and she jerked. The feeling of she should not be here rushed through her and she bolted heading away from where she heard the footsteps. A moment passed as she ran and she managed to hiss to herself, "what are you doing idiot? You weren't doing anything wrong!"

Still she didn't stop running and she couldn't figure it out.

She skidded around a corner and found a door and pushed it open, closing it firmly behind herself.

Only then did she allow herself to stop, knees giving out and sending her to the floor with a thump. Her heart was pounding and she pressed her ear against the door listening for noise but got only silence.

'You're a nitwit,' she told herself, pushing herself to her feet. As she got her feet back under her and looked around it was only then that she realized what kind of room she had found herself in.

A dojo.

The wall was lined with weapons. Katanas, broadswords and sabers, even a zanbatou. She caught sight of fencing foils and epees. There was even a bokken and she clenched her hands into fists, fighting the urge to go over and pick it up.

She hadn't held a bokken since the fire that had destroyed her family's dojo.

Kaoru didn't know what to compare it to: A thirsty man finally being given water after so long denied it?

She was moving toward the rack of weapons almost without realizing it.

A few feet away she stopped and swallowed. Whose weapons room was this? Battousai's? Kenshin didn't seem the type to wave around swords and the mental image of a sword swinging tiger made her giggle. It had a slightly hysterical edge to it and she gave herself a mental slap.

'Stop that,' she said firmly and felt the hysteria subside.

Taking a deep breath, she resumed walking toward the weapons. Breathe… step… breathe… step... It helped her concentrate and stay calm and resist the urge to race over and grab the weapon and cuddle it to her chest like a child with a long lost toy.

She had taken her very first bokken to bed with her when she had been a child much to her father's amusement. Theodore, her teddy bear hadn't been so amused to find his place shuffled to the foot of her bed and himself abandoned.

She had happened upon him several years later and donated him to an organization that gave toys to children without them. So he had eventually found a little girl to love him after being so long neglected for a piece of wood. He had gotten his happy ending.

Good memories, if slightly bittersweet as she reflected on them and the time and events that had occurred since then.

She paused within reach of the weapons and just let her eyes travel over them for a moment, taking them in. They were shining and clean, well cared for and tended. Whoever's weapons they were; she couldn't fault their care of them.

Giving into her urge she reached out and wrapped her hand around the bokken, lifting it free. It weighed more than she remembered. A solid weight in her hands and she wrapped the other around it, grip tightening so that her knuckles turned white. The wood was smooth and shining and she rubbed a thumb along it.

Clutching it to her chest she let her arms wrap around it tightly. A tightness in her stomach she hadn't registered loosened and she sighed softly. It felt good to hold a bokken again. All of their weapons had burned up in the fire and she hadn't wanted to buy another one. To have her father stumble across a bokken and him not being able to wield it… It would have been salt on a fresh wound. To avoid his pain she had not bought another.

She hadn't realized how much she missed her bokkens until now.

Sighing, she willed her grip on the bokken to loosen. She should put it back…

But… It had been so long. Too long since she had held one.

The urge to do a kata or two was eating at her and she shook her head. It wouldn't hurt. It really couldn't hurt. Nobody would ever know and she could just put the bokken back once she was done.

Her mind made up, she stepped away from the wall rack and into the center of the dojo to give herself room.

Placing her hands in the correct grip she raised the bokken above her head and did a simple downward stroke. A grin stole across her face and she let her eyes slip close, falling into a pattern she had not practiced in ages but still knew by heart.

She pivoted and spun around, blocking and thrusting, parrying against an invisible opponent. The hiss of the bokken as it cut through the air and the burn that started in the muscles of her arms… she welcomed it. She relished it.

How much time passed she didn't know. She did one kata set after another: Improvising and changing mid-pattern as she went along. The grin on her face didn't leave and she felt the knots in her stomach loosen with every swing.

There was the sound of the dojo door opening and she whirled around, heart leaping into her throat.

Battousai.

Odd how she'd come to recognize that little patch of darkness at the edge of her vision and identify whom he was by the thread of his steps.

"Um…" Whatever she was going to say became stuck in her throat. She fought the urge to hide the bokken behind her back and attempt to look innocent.

No she wasn't doing anything. What would make you think that?

"What are you doing?" She had the impression him tilting his head to the side regarding her.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Really?" There was laughter there. "Then why do you have a guilty expression on your face?"

"I don't," and she felt her face redden. Gah! She ducked her head, hiding behind her bangs.

Battousai laughed, it was a good laugh he wasn't making fun of her or anything just merely amused. "Bokken?"

"Yeah," Kaoru's thumb rubbed against the wood. "Couldn't resist I guess."

"Ah," Battousai murmured. "Never been one for bokkens myself."

Kaoru snorted, "don't tell me you're one of those 'it's not a sword unless it has a metal blade' people?"

"No," she got the impression of a shrug. "Just my swordmaster didn't believe in coddling you. Once you were strong enough to wield a katana, you wielded a katana and nothing else."

"Oh," she murmured. "Swordmaster?"

"Believe me you never want to meet him." She could almost feel Battousai making a face.

"Ah, I'll take your word for it then."

"Mmm," Battousai murmured. "Were you in the middle of something when I walked in?"

"Yeah," Kaoru couldn't keep the sheepish expression off her face. "I'm sorry I thought you were going to tell me it was late and to head to bed."

Battousai chuckled softly, "and why would I tell you that?"

"Daddy never liked to see me practicing in the middle of the night." Kaoru shook her head. "The few times he caught me practicing he'd make sure to wake me up extra early the next morning and wouldn't let me complain that I was tired."

"…Sounds like something my master would do only not let you eat breakfast and tell you to shut up if you complained that you were tired or hungry…"

"Um… Daddy wasn't that bad." Kaoru murmured.

"Be glad."

"I am."

"If I stopped you please continue. I didn't mean to."

Kaoru shook her head, "no, that's okay. I'm tired anyway." Her arms ached, but it was a good ache. She had missed the feeling. Though she knew if she managed to look at a clock the time that had passed would disappoint her. She used to be able to do hundreds of sets. But then again she hadn't held a bokken in over a year and should probably be satisfied with what she had managed to do.

Walking back over to the rack she set the bokken back down where she had found it. Instantly her fingers twitched and she stepped away keep from picking it back up again. Kaoru knew if she did, she probably wouldn't put it back down again and would be once more that little five year old girl, carrying it around everywhere and sleeping with it in her arms.

The image almost made her laugh and she smiled, shaking her head.

She didn't know if she wanted to be that child again. The one that had run to her father with a scraped knee wanting him to make it all better...Who had snuck into his room after her mother's death wanting him to hold her and tell her that things would be alright and not to fret.

"Kaoru?" Battousai's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"I something the matter?" There was concern in his voice.

She started shaking her head and then stopped. "Can… Can I just have a hug?"

She heard him step toward her and his arms wrapped around her. Sighing softly, Kaoru closed her eyes and snuggled against him, feeling him stroke her back and push the bangs out of her eyes. He was warm and smelled of ever-present ginger and she inhaled deeply.

She was older now, but deep down inside she was still that child. Things hadn't changed as much as she'd like. She still looked for reassurance and wanted someone to tell her that things were okay. The inner-child inside of her that needed such things hadn't died. Maybe that was a good thing.

She was supposed to have grown up. But she hadn't. But that was okay wasn't it?

"Thank you," she murmured against his shoulder.

"You're welcome," he said. "Better now?"

"Mmm," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" He sounded genuinely puzzled.

"I've been doing a lot of crying and moping since I got here," she ducked her head.

"No don't worry." He shook his head. "It's perfectly understandable."

"Yeah right," Kaoru sighed.

"I was worse when the curse started. Why do you think I live alone?" There was a note of sadness in his voice. "I drove everyone away because I couldn't deal with it and they couldn't handle me."

"I'm sorry," Kaoru said softly.

"Don't be. I was young and very much a spoiled brat. I recognize that now." He sighed. "My master called me all kinds of idiot and looking back on it he was probably right."

"Your swordmaster doesn't sound all that nice."

"I told you to hope you never meet him didn't I?"

"You did," Kaoru agreed.

"So take my word for it."

Kaoru snorted, "I'll do as you say… How do you know you weren't just a real brat when you were young?"

"I was a real brat."

"See? He may have treated you horribly because you deserved it. He might actually be nice to me if I ever meet him."

"I thought you agreed with me that he wasn't nice."

"Oh he probably isn't," Kaoru agreed. "But he'd probably be nicer to me than you."

"Really?" Battousai sounded amused. "You're logic is amusing."

"It probably is. Logic was never my strong point. I hated rhetoric in school."

Battousai laughed softly and she shook her head, pulling away and walking back to the rack of weapons and picking up the bokken again. Wrapping her arms around it she hugged it to her chest.

Sensing his amusement she stuck her tongue out at him. "Stop that. I had bokkens instead of teddy bears as a child. Okay, I did have teddy bears - but they pretty much got forsaken after I was given my first bokken."

"I see," Kaoru could almost feel the smile on his face. "The mental image is adorable."

Kaoru wrinkled her nose, "I wasn't adorable. I spent most of my time running around and getting dirty and ending up with twigs in my hair and falling out of trees as a child."

"Tomboy?" Laughter edged the word.

"Very much so," Kaoru nodded. "Didn't help that I made Daddy put me into open competitions so I could fight against the boys instead of staying in the girl ranks; I got beaten most of the time but in general could hold my own pretty well."

"Were you any good?" There was interest in his voice.

Kaoru shrugged, "good enough I guess."

"Ah," Battousai murmured. "Would you care to practice against me? I haven't fought against anyone in a long time." There was a trace of wistfulness there.

"Um," Kaoru paused. "I… can't see you…"

"You can sense where I am though right?" He asked.

Kaoru nodded.

"My master used to make me do an exercise where I'd fight blindfolded. It helped me sense chi and where my opponent was. Besides…" His voice suddenly turned teasing. "I promise to take it easy on you."

Kaoru bristled slightly, "take it easy?"

"Mmm. I'll hold back if I see you can't keep up."

"Really?" Kaoru arched an eyebrow. "Who was the one who just said they haven't fought against anyone in a long time?"

"Did I say that?" Battousai's voice was thoughtful.

"Yes," Kaoru grinned and it was more a baring of teeth than anything else. "Pick your weapon and we'll see how fast it takes you to land on your ass."

Battousai snorted softly and she felt him brush past her as he went over to the rack. A katana rose from the rack and she eyed it.

"Why do you get a katana and I have a bokken?"

"Are you used to handling a katana?" Battousai asked.

"No," she admitted.

"And I'm not used to handling a bokken."

"Fair enough," Kaoru agreed.

She watched the katana float through the air to the center of the dojo floor. Hey if she couldn't' see him she could at least see his weapon.

For some reason it didn't reassure her as much as it probably should have.

She shifted her grip on the bokken and tightened her hands around it, following him to the center of the dojo and stopping a few feet away.

"Okay…" She shook her bangs out of her eyes. "How are we going to do this exactly?"

"Close your eyes."

"I already can't see you," she pointed out.

"I have my eyes closed," Battousai answered.

"And I can tell that how?" Kaoru asked.

"Close your eyes," Battousai murmured. "And concentrate."

"I am still going to have you end up on your ass, just so you know," Kaoru informed him and closed her eyes as he had told her to.

And she concentrated.

There was the prickle of something across her skin. A fleeting touch that she belatedly identified as magic. Concentrating harder she focused on Battousai standing in front of her. Her breathing slowed and evened and as she watched colors danced across the backs of her closed eyelids.

Slowly they merged together until they formed an outline: The shape of a body with magic edging off him and trailing into the air. Fiery reds and yellows with the odd touch of violet and darker blue. In the very center a black nearly hidden by the writhing colors, she couldn't make out any features, but she could see him.

Battousai.

She fought the urge to open her eyes and instead stepped forward and watched him walk toward her to meet her.

"Keep concentrating," he murmured.

She nodded, her eyes still closed. "Is that what you look like? All reds and golds?"

"Apparently," Battousai said.

"What do I look like?" She couldn't help but asking.

"Blues," he replied. "Many shades of blue. And yellows. Like sunshine."

Kaoru snorted, "You're laying it on too thick now."

"I'm saying nothing but the truth."

Kaoru could sense the honesty there so she found she couldn't doubt him.

"Hmph," she snorted. "Ready to end up flat on your face?"

He moved to the side and she turned following him.

"Come here," she muttered stepping toward him only to see him dart away.

"Nope. You have to come get me."

"In your dreams," she retorted.

"There's a thought."

"Keep thinking like that and I am going to kick your ass."

"You can try."

"Idiot," she grumbled.

"So I've been told," he still kept out of reach.

"They were probably right." Kaoru lunged at him and hissed when she missed. "Get back here speedy."

"You're too slow."

"I thought you wanted to fight me, not play keep-away." She pointed out.

"Just warming up."

"Yeah… right."

Kaoru feinted, changing direction and heard a solid thunk followed by a yelp as her bokken connected. "Ha! Got you."

"That hurt," Battousai muttered.

"Oh shush. Stand still so I can hit you properly and it might not hurt as much."

"You weren't lying when you said you bad at rhetoric. Your logic stinks."

"Hey I admitted it didn't I?"

"You did," Battousai conceded and she heard him sigh. "Okay, I'm done playing around now."

"Goody," Kaoru stopped and reached up with a hand to rake her bangs out of her eyes. "Get over here so we can fight properly."

She watched him approach and stop several feet away.

"Ready?" He reached out and tapped her bokken gently with his katana.

Kaoru nodded.

Her bokken came up in an instinctive block and she felt the reverberation travel down her arms and gritted her teeth. "Using a katana is cheating."

"I already told you I don't know how to use a bokken properly."

"It's the same principle!"

"Tell that to my master."

"Well your master sucks," Kaoru grunted as he blocked her thrust.

"That's something we both agree on." Kaoru brought her bokken up in a parry and hissed as she found herself skidding several feet backward. He didn't appear much bigger than she herself was in her minds eye but he was stronger. 'Stupid men and their stupid upper body mass.'

Kaoru had long ago realized she would more than likely never be as strong physically as a male unless she wanted to spend all of her life weightlifting in a gym. So she had learned that there were other ways to win a match than brute strength. Mostly she hoped her opponent was stupider and slower than her. This time it didn't seem to be the case.

Oh well, this was just for fun right?

Darn that pesky competitive streak of hers.

If he thought she was going to back down then he had another think coming. Tightening her grip on the bokken, she shifted her weight and prepared herself for his next attack, bringing it up in time to block and cursing under her breath as the shock of it traveled down her arms.

She watched as he leapt to land several feet away. She lowered her arms to let the muscles there relax, but her gaze never left him. She noted that his posture was relaxed and calm and she caught a concerned air about him as he tilted his head toward her.

"Are you alright?"

"Don't you dare try to go easy on me," Kaoru snapped.

She shook her hands out and rotated her shoulders back, tilting her head from side to side hearing a pop and release of tension in her neck. Nodding to him, she stepped toward him and he didn't budge, watching her approach patiently. "Just because you are beating me does not give you the reason to go easy on me. If you are beating me I want you to beat me because you treated me fairly as an opponent."

"As you wish then," Battousai replied. He didn't move and continued to watch her approach, waiting for her next attack.

"Ready?" Kaoru murmured.

"Yes."

Again he met her attack and she gritted her teeth at the easy way he parried her thrust. Whirling she struck at him again, growling under her breath at the nimble way he dodged her attack and jumped away.

"I'm going to end up calling you Speedy," she informed him.

He merely laughed.

"Idiot… Idiot works too," Kaoru mused.

"You get quit abusive when you're frustrated," Battousai observed.

"You think this is abusive?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "I was raised in a dojo among a bunch of guys who didn't always curb their tongues around a little girl. I learned some very colorful words and phrases that way. I can be quite abusive when I want to… Daddy used to threaten to wash my mouth out with soup when I lost my temper before I learned to hold my tongue."

Battousai shook his head. "Somehow I can't imagine you cursing the air blue."

"You just haven't pissed me off enough," Kaoru said primly.

Battousai snorted, "So I should stay on your good side then?"

"Yep," Kaoru replied. "And you can do that by letting me beat you black and blue."

"I'll decline."

"Drat," Kaoru sighed.

"So sorry to disappoint you," She could almost feel the smile in his voice.

"I'm sure you are," she said dryly.

"Oh I am," Battousai assured her.

Any more conversation ended as they collided again in a flurry of attack and counter attack.

"What did I," Kaoru grunted as her bokken connected solidly with his ribs and she heard a satisfying whoosh of air from him. "Tell you about going easy on me? You were slowing down!"

"I didn't!" There was a wheeze in his voice that had her fighting back a grin. "You just got faster."

"Sure," Kaoru rolled her eyes. "And now I expect you are going to tell me that you have the ability to fly hmm?"

"Um…"

"Shut up."

"Will do."

"Good," Kaoru sighed. Her arms ached and she lowered her bokken until the tip touched the ground and she leant on it. Her arms ached and she could feel a good number of bruises starting. Oh she was going to be a very tired Kaoru tomorrow.

Tired by happy.

Tilting her head in Kenshin's direction she asked, "can you breathe now?"

"I'm okay. Thank you for asking."

"You're welcome," it was probably said a bit too brightly and she heard him snort softly.

She stepped backwards until her back hit the wall and slid downward, sighing softly and leaning her head back.

She heard Battousai walk over and felt him sit down beside her.

"Tired?" He asked.

"Very," Kaoru nodded.

"Thank you," she heard him murmur.

"What for?" Kaoru asked.

"I haven't sparred like that with anyone in a while."

"Me too, I'm probably horribly out of practice."

"That makes two of us then."

Kaoru snorted, "If that is you out of practice…. I really don't ever want to meet you in a dark alley when you are back 'in practice'."

"You don't have to worry about that."

"Good," Kaoru nodded. "Can I open my eyes now?" Not that talking to a magical construction of him wasn't fun, but she was growing tired and could feel the magical drain on her energy. Kaoru would be more than physically exhausted tomorrow. Her magical 'muscles' were complaining loudly.

"Of course," he said.

She opened her eyes and the magical glow of him in her mind vanished replaced by darkness, darker against the dark of the room.

She felt him wrap his arm around her waist and sighed gratefully, leaning against him.

"How do you feel?" He brushed her bangs out of her eyes and she let them flutter closed.

"Tired," she murmured. "Happy though."

"I'm glad," he touched her chin, tilting her head back so he press a kiss against her forehead.

"Mmm," Kaoru murmured softly.

He was warm… Kaoru sighed softly as he pulled her into his lap and snuggled closer. A strand of his hair brushed against her hand she wrapped her hand around it, twining it through her fingers.

Warm… He feathered light kisses along her jaw and she felt his mouth brush against hers, her lips parted beneath his and she tugged gently at the strand of his hair entwined between her fingers, pulling his mouth firmly down against hers.

There was a flare of red in her minds eye, mixed with violet and gold. It flowed around her, warmth suffusing her wherever it touched. She felt her muscles become loose and languid and she heard a faint purr.

There was a shifting sensation and she felt softness against her back. Opening her eyes she recognized her surroundings by the shapes that the shadows made as being once again in her room.

Battousai was wrapped firmly around her, one arm thrown across her waist and holding her snuggly against him. His face was pressed against her neck and she heard him sigh softly and relax.

"Battousai?" She murmured.

"Go to sleep Kaoru," he said softly.

"But…"

"Sleep," he said gently. "Just go to sleep." She felt his arms tighten around her slightly.

"Battousai…"

"I just want to hold you." He whispered. There was a note there that made her heart constrict.

How long had he been alone? Kaoru didn't have to ask the question to know the answer: Too long.

"I understand," she murmured.

"Thank you," the sincere gratefulness made her want to bite her lip.

"You don't have to thank me," she said softly. Tucking her head underneath his chin she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed closer against him. He tensed slightly and then relaxed with a soft sigh.

Let me hold you...

I just want to be held…

To hold and be held.

He'd been alone too long, they both had. And all they both wanted was this simple contact, to know that they were no longer alone.

She could give him that. He didn't even have to ask.


	7. Chapter 7

"I'm bored!"

'I know,' Kenshin replied. 'You've said so. Numerous times over the past half hour might I add.' His tone was slightly irritated and she suppressed a grin. So far she'd repeated the words about ten times in the span of thirty minutes and Kenshin had yet to show anything other than mild annoyance. If she got to fifty before he lost his temper she'd give him a cookie – one that she didn't bake.

He was lying at her feet with his head on his paws doing his best to sleep. Or at least pretend to sleep. Kaoru was doing her best at the moment to annoy him. Or at least pretend to annoy him. There was indeed a method to her madness.

"Well it's true," Kaoru retorted, tapping a finger against the leather cover of her book. She really had to wonder why she'd even attempted to read it. She'd lost interest fifty pages in and was fighting the urge to chuck it against the wall. The other books piled at her feet weren't much better.

And here she thought with the size of the libraries in the palace she'd never run out of things to read…

"So what can we do?" Kaoru swung her legs back and forth.

Kenshin eyed her, 'we're not baking anything.'

"I wouldn't even think of suggesting it," Kaoru replied and he snorted.

"I'm bored!" Kaoru let the book drop from her hand and onto the floor. At least she hadn't given into her urge to throw it.

'Read another book,' Kenshin suggested.

"Too bored," Kaoru answered and saw him twitch slightly. "There's nothing else to do here."

"Well what do you want to do?" Kenshin asked patiently.

"Go outside," Kaoru glanced at the window. The sun was still shining and even though the days were growing shorter and colder there was still plenty of daylight left. She wondered how many more days it would be until it started to snow.

Snow…

Winter…

She had loved winter as a child. Hot chocolate with marshmallows and making snowmen and going sledding… After her father had been injured she'd had to give up many those things. She missed snowball fights with him and having her father push her down a hill. The sting of the air against her face, as the sled picked up speed and sent her hurtling down the slope…

"Hey Kenshin?" She asked.

'Yes?'

"Do you think it'll snow soon?"

'Maybe,' Kenshin blinked at her. 'Why?'

"Just wondering," Kaoru shrugged. "Do you know how to make a snowman?"

'Can't,' Kenshin flexed his claws.

"Ah," Kaoru nodded. "Right." She let herself flop back against the couch with a sigh. "Bored!"

Kaoru could almost hear Kenshin grinding his teeth together. She barely restrained a grin.

"Hey… Kenshin?"

'Yes?' Kaoru gave him points for not screaming or banging his head against something hard. 'What do you want?'

"So… I was thinking…."

'You were thinking what?' Kenshin raised his head to eye her and she gave him an innocent smile. For some reason he looked the farthest thing from convinced.

"I've been good right?" She smiled sunnily at him.

'Right…' Ever so slightly Kenshin started to inch away from her.

"So…" Kaoru upped her smile a few watts. "I've been behaving myself and acting good and not causing trouble."

'Define trouble?' Kenshin twitched.

"Oh forget about the whole bath thing," Kaoru waved her hand. "But for the most part you would say I've been good?"

'You could say that…' there was as definite note of wariness in Kenshin's voice.

"So wouldn't you say good behavior should be rewarded?" She beamed at him.

'Depends on your definition of reward…' Kaoru caught a trace of panic in his voice.

"Could we go outside?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin blinked at her, "you've been outside."

"I mean…" Kaoru sighed and raked her bangs out of her eyes. "Outside-outside. Beyond the gate outside…"

Kenshin was silent and she felt her chest tighten.

"It's just…" Kaoru bit her lip. "I know I'm supposed to stay here and not go… but you would be with me and I wouldn't run away or anything!"

'Kaoru…' Kenshin sighed softly. 'You know the rules.'

"But why?" Kaoru knew she sounded like a pouting little kid but couldn't help it. "I'm not going to run away. I'm not going to leave you or Battousai. I just… I just want to be around people for a little bit. If only for a little bit." She closed her eyes.

She felt fur brush her hand and opened her eyes to see Kenshin had gotten to his feet. Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his fur. 'I know,' he said softly.

"Just once," Kaoru murmured. "Just this once?"

There was silence for a moment and then she heard him sigh.

'What am I going to do with you?'

"I don't know," Kaoru said. "What am I going to do with you Mr. Fuzzy Tiger-kitty?"

Kenshin twitched. 'Please don't start calling me that.'

"Please can we go outside?" Kaoru asked.

'If anything happens to you…'

"Nothing is going to happen to me." Kaoru said.

Kenshin sighed.

"You worry too much." Kaoru told him.

'Hn,' he grunted.

"So is that a yes?" Kaoru asked smiling. Not enough to annoy him but bright enough to be cheerful.

'…Yes…'

"Yay!" Kaoru hugged him tightly.

'Kaoru… Kaoru…? Kaoru I can't breathe!'

"Sorry," she let go of him.

'Oro…' Kenshin whimpered.

"Can you breathe?"

'Yes… barely…' He shook his head.

"Sorry about that," Kaoru's voice sounded contrite but she couldn't keep the grin off her face.

'It's okay,' Kenshin murmured. The expression on his face softened and he touched her hand with his muzzle. She obligingly gave his ears a scratch.

"You sure it's okay?" Kaoru asked. "I mean Battousai won't be mad or anything?"

'It is okay,' Kenshin answered. 'And no I don't think Battousai will mind. As long as nothing happens to you.' The last was added under his breath.

"You're such a worrywart," Kaoru stung her tongue out at him.

Kenshin shook his head. 'Do you need anything or are you ready to go?'

"I'm ready," Kaoru answered and got to her feet. She was more than ready.

'Good,' Kenshin nodded and took off at a slow jog with Kaoru just behind him.

'Don't worry Kenshin,' Kaoru said. 'Nothing is going to happen.'

Nothing at all.

All she wanted to do was get out and be around people for just a little while. In that span of time there was nothing that could go wrong. She couldn't get into anything, especially with Kenshin hovering over her like some kind of furry guardian angel.

The image was amusing.

"Kenshin you don't happen to have any money?"

'Maybe… What do you want to buy?'

"Maybe a book or two…. or three," Kaoru replied. And a pair of wings and a halo though somehow she didn't think Kenshin would be all that amused if she tried to get him to wear them.

'You can buy a book,' Kenshin replied.

'Just a book?" Kaoru asked. "As in only one?"

'We'll see,' Kenshin answered. 'Depends on how you behave.'

Kaoru snorted softly, "mother hen."

Kenshin didn't reply but she heard him sigh softly.

Kaoru was silent as they left the house and followed the path to the front gate rather than the long trail through the forest to the back gate. Kaoru had been on the other side of the gate, looking into the palace from the outside for all of her life, so it was a bit odd to be looking from the other side and out into the city. Beyond the gate, Kaoru could see people walking, school children on their way to school, people heading off to work… not a one looked their way.

They did not exist to them.

They were invisible.

'Ready?' Kenshin questioned softly.

"Yeah," Kaoru nodded.

'Okay then,' Kenshin murmured. He strode forward and touched his muzzle against the gate. Soundlessly it swung away. The people walking by merely sidestepped to the side, never glancing toward the gate. Kaoru found it more than a little unnerving.

She nodded again to Kenshin and squared her shoulders back, raising her chin. With Kenshin at her side she stepped through the gate and into the crowd of people walking by.

"Watch it!" A rather hefty business man just avoided colliding into her.

Kaoru quickly backpedaled to avoid being run into.

The second she had cleared the gate, she realized, she had suddenly become visible. Kenshin at her side was not receiving any comments and she looked over at him to see him shake his head soundlessly.

He was still invisible. Even as the people around her could see her, he remained unnoticed.

Which, considering he was a rather large (and talking) tiger might be a good thing…Kaoru didn't exactly want to be chased around by a punch of people hurling magical spells and carrying pitchforks due to the riot Kenshin's sudden appearance would cause.

"So…" Kaoru murmured softly. "I'm outside." For some reason it didn't feel as good as she thought it would be. True, she was no longer cooped up behind the palace gates and out among people but there was something missing….

'What's wrong?' Kenshin nudged her hand gently and she stroked his ears.

"Nothing," Kaoru sighed. "I just think I got my expectations up a little too high." No one was looking at her, she noticed and she put it down to the fact she was currently petting Kenshin. Perhaps his invisibility spread to her when she was touching him.

Invisible… To always be invisible…

Now that was a depressing and sad thought and for Kenshin a fact of life. Battousai as well. Only she could see Kenshin and only she could interact with Battousai... Impulsively she hugged him.

"C'mon. I want to get some hot chocolate and we'll get you a nice bowl of milk. How does that sound?"

'Yuck,' Kenshin grumbled.

"Don't tell me you're a cat who doesn't like milk?" Kaoru raised an eyebrow.

'I like chocolate milk.' Kenshin answered.

"Chocolate is bad for you." Kaoru told him.

'That only works with dogs,' Kenshin retorted.

"You want to give Death By Chocolate a literal meaning?" Kaoru rolled her eyes.

'Sounds like a plan," Kenshin agreed. "there's a café just up the street.' He jerked his head in the direction of it.

"Umm…" Kaoru bit her lip as she followed his gaze. "Let's go to another one."

'Why?' Kenshin asked.

"I used to work there," Kaoru explained.

Kenshin ducked his head, 'right. But they don't remember you so you wouldn't get in trouble or anything.'

"That's why I don't want to go there," Kaoru said. "They don't remember me."

'I see,' Kenshin murmured. He nudged her hand gently. 'I'm sorry.'

"Not your fault," Kaoru gave his ears a quick scratch. "Besides there's an other one has some really good apple pie ala mode."

'That does sound good,' Kenshin admitted.

"Then let's go get some," Kaoru gave his ears one last pat. "And your chocolate milk too."

She stepped over to the curb and waited for the traffic lights to change so that she could walk across the street without being run over.

'Chocolate milk is better than regular milk,' Kenshin said as he sat down next to her, his tail curled around his paws, waiting patiently.

"No arguments there," Kaoru agreed.

'Good, if you did try to argue with me you wouldn't win.' Kenshin said smugly.

"Says you," Kaoru retorted, eyeing him.

'You know it's true. You can't win any argument involving chocolate,' Kenshin answered. 'And when it comes to milk chocolate milk is the best.'

"I agree. We're in agreement."

'Knew you were smart.'

Kaoru shook her head, "and here I think you were just keeping me around to liven up the palace décor."

'Now there's a thought,' Kenshin said musingly.

"You are going to wake up one morning to find you have been shaved and have no fur, and you will deserve it." The light changed and Kaoru quickly walked across the street to the other side and headed south in the direction of the other café, Kenshin at her heels and them still bickering the entire way.

Inside the café it was warm, a welcome respite from the chill outside. There was no line to be seen and Kaoru went up to the counter to order an apple pie ala mode and cup of coffee as well as Kenshin's chocolate milk, asking for an extra bowl.

Kaoru quickly found a seat near the window and sat down, Kenshin rested his head on her lap and they were silent, just watching the crowds of people walk past the window. Kaoru rubbed at Kenshin's ears gently and sighed, feeling the knot in her stomach loosen if only by a little bit. Kenshin was a warm comforting press against her side.

A moment later the waitress arrived with their food and Kaoru poured the chocolate milk into the bowl and set it down in front of Kenshin so he could drink it. Apparently it had turned invisible as he drank it, since no one looked over or commented on the weirdness of a bowl full of chocolate milk on the ground.

Kaoru sipped her coffee and nibbled on her apple pie. It was very good just as Kenshin had promised it would be.

'Better?' Kenshin asked after a moment.

"Yeah," Kaoru replied softly. She glanced down at him and her lips twitched. "You have chocolate milk all over your muzzle."

Kenshin blinked and she bit her lip to stifle her giggle as he attempted to lick the milk off his muzzle.

"It's not working," the laugh was there in her voice and Kenshin narrowed his eyes and made a face.

"Here let me help you," Kaoru grabbed a napkin off the table and attempted to dab at his muzzle. "There… I got it! You're no longer a chocolate-covered kitty."

Kenshin glowered and she rubbed his ears gently.

"Want some pie?" She offered and the glare faded from his face.

'Sure,' he agreed easily enough and she set the remains of her apple pie ala mode down in front of him. He ate it neater this time, and didn't get his face covered in pie as he had done with the chocolate before.

"Better?" Kaoru asked.

'Yes,' Kenshin replied and rested his head on her knee, sighing softly as she rubbed his ears.

"Fuzzball," Kaoru grinned and he snorted softly. She picked up her coffee and drank, humming softly, her mood improved. The tip of Kenshin's tail twitched slowly and he snuggled closer as she continued to rub his ears.

"You're melting," Kaoru teased.

'Hn,' he replied softly, his eyes half-lidded.

"Fuzzball," Kaoru repeated and drained her coffee cup.

Kenshin's only reply was a soft purr and his eyes had closed.

"Ready to go?" Kaoru asked after a moment.

Kenshin opened his eyes and nodded.

"Don't worry," Kaoru grinned as she got up from her seat. "I'll give you plenty of scratches once we get back. How does that sound?"

'Good,' Kenshin grinned and ducked her playful swing.

'Let's go,' Kenshin murmured, his eyes gleaming.

It was colder now than before when they had gone into the café. A wind had kicked up and Kaoru yelped as it cut through her. Winter was definitely drawing close, she could feel it.

"Come on Kenshin let's get –" the wind stole her words away and her eyes widened. She felt her heart jump in her chest and the cold bite of the air felt like it had seeped into her blood and turned it to ice.

It was like she had suddenly walked into her worse nightmare.

Kaoru stopped dead in her tracks, ignoring the push of people in the crowd around her and Kenshin's soft query. They all suddenly seemed so far away. The pounding of her heart filled her ears and she was frozen to the spot. Her blood turned to ice and she found she could no longer move.

She could only look.

Look at Him.

He was there.

In full view.

There.

Right in front of her.

As if he had every right to be.

Kaoru felt her gut clench and a half-growl; half-sob worked its way up her throat.

Beside her Kenshin went still, golden eyes widening and jerking upward to her face. 'Kaoru?' It had the edge of concern. She suddenly had the feeling he'd repeated her name several times and this was the first that his voice had reached her.

'Kaoru what is wrong?'

What is wrong? The question nearly made her laugh in hysteria.

Everything is wrong!

Everything!

"It's him," Kaoru murmured her voice almost soundless. Her face had suddenly gone pale, blue eyes looking huge. She was biting her lower lip so hard Kenshin was amazed it wasn't bleeding.

'Him?' He questioned softly and turned his head to follow her gaze.

"Gohei," Kaoru's voice made the name a curse. "He's… the one who destroyed everything." Her father. Her life. Her future. All that could have and once would have been.

'Kaoru!' Kenshin moved to block her path, but she sidestepped him. There was a look in her eyes that had his hair raising and he growled softly. 'Wait!'

"I can't Kenshin," Kaoru looked down at him and for a brief second her expression softened and the look in her eyes faded. "He's right there. I can't just… I can't just walk away…" The look in her eyes turned cold once more. "Understand that please."

Then before he could respond or even think to act, she had melded into the crowd and disappeared.

As darkness fell over the City, Kaoru raced after the one who had taken all that was dear to her.

Gohei….

Kaoru spotted him easily. He stood head and shoulders taller than the people around him, pushing through the people by his sheer mass and bulk. She saw them look upward and move away, fear flickering in their eyes.

They knew he was dangerous. It was the aura he carried about him.

Gohei was a bully. He enjoyed hurting people. Kaoru wondered at whatever had possessed her father to teach him the art of swordsmanship. Perhaps he had thought it would have taught him discipline and an outlet for his natural aggression.

All it did was teach him how to harm and kill.

Her father's sword style had been meant to be such a tool. It should never have been used in a way.

Anger tastes sour on her tongue and she felt a lump build in her throat as she followed him. Memories flickered through her mind as she echoed his steps. Her father – sound and healthy… the students Gohei had harmed in his rampage through her family's dojo… the colored of the sky lit by fire as her home had burned to the ground…

Tragedies and pain and lives forever affected.

All because of Gohei…

What he had done was inexcusable.

And he walked away from it.

Walked away and never been punished.

The lives he had ruined and Gohei had never been reprimanded. After the fire that had burned her family's dojo to the ground he had disappeared. Kaoru had gone through the City looking for him and had never once seen him.

He had vanished like some sort of ghastly specter that appeared only in her nightmares and darkest thoughts.

And now when she had least expected it. He had reappeared.

It was the worst kind of irony. Agony.

Some part of Kaoru's mind was telling her that she was being a fool. She was running after a man who had murdered students and hurt her father without a weapon. But the other part of Kaoru's mind had thrown caution and rationale to the wind.

She didn't know how exactly. But she knew one thing: She would make him pay. Pay for her father and his students. Pay for herself. For what could have been and what was lost.

Suddenly he disappeared, shadows engulfing him. Kaoru picked up the pace, breaking from a slow jog into a quicker run. Her eyes swept over where he had last been and she half-skidded around the corner he had just turned.

And found herself in a dead end.

Facing Gohei.

He was bigger than she remembered. Kaoru knew she was not small for a woman. Not tall either, but a good height. But Gohei was huge. A mountain of a man. He reminded her of a bear, she thought suddenly. All muscle and thick wild hair. He towered over her and the shadow he made chilled her to the bone.

She suddenly felt smaller than she was.

All the bravado and anger that had flared within her when she had first seen him was suddenly doused, like water thrown over a fire. She was once more the little girl who had clung to her father's pants leg at the first sight of Gohei. The girl who had run home from school to find her dojo in flames and father injured by Gohei years later…

Unarmed. She was vulnerable.

What had she been thinking?

It was too late to turn back now.

"So," Gohei's voice was a deep vibrating rumble in his chest. It sounded like a bear's growl and only strengthened the impression of bestiality and brutishness he gave off. "It's the little girl from the dojo."

Kaoru raised her eyes to his and lifted her chin defiantly, squashing down firmly on the fear that bubbled within her. "Yes." Her voice was calm and flat, she was proud of it.

Kaoru wondered at how he remembered her. The spell that had erased memories of those around her had affected everyone but him as far as she could tell. The answer came to her pretty easily: Gohei had no trace of magic in him.

He was a human as anyone in their land could possibly be. It didn't affect him. And instead of relying on magic and spells like most of the population he relied on brute strength and sheer power. Her father's sword style had not been one that needed magic to work and that was probably the reason Gohei had chosen to learn it.

She balled her hands into fists, nails biting in the skin of her hand. The pain helped her concentrate and pushed away the fear and hysteria that threatened to engulf her.

"How is your father doing?" Gohei's voice was polite, cordial almost. "Is he still among the living?"

Kaoru forced her face to remain blank and not show how Gohei's words had affected her. Her knuckles whitened and her nails dug deeper into her palms. She concentrated on that and not the man looming over her.

"You know why I'm here," her words were short and clipped.

"Revenge?" Gohei laughed. "You think you can kill me? Hurt me? A little slip of a girl like you?"

Kaoru remained silent while he laughed.

"You come after me unarmed," his voice was still amused when he finally did cease laughing. His eyes roved over her and he chuckled again.

"So glad I'm amusing you," Kaoru muttered.

"You've got guts," Gohei's grin made her skin crawl. "Don't think that'll keep me from killing you though."

"I didn't expect it to," Kaoru retorted. She glanced around her carefully, noticing everything out of the corners of her eyes. Gohei carried a katana and wakizashi while she was unarmed.

Off to the side there was a broken crate of boxes among the trashcans that lined the dead end of the alley she found herself in with Gohei.

"May I?" Kaoru asked. "It wouldn't be fair to fight me with me without a weapon would it?"

"This isn't a fight at all little girl," Gohei said. "But I suppose I shall you some mercy."

Mercy… He hadn't shown her father nor any of his student's mercy when he been attacking, injuring, and killing them.

"Thank you," Kaoru replied through clenched teeth. "I'm very grateful."

Gohei snorted watching as she moved over to the pile of broken boxes. There was a long piece of wood broken off of it and she laid a hand against it, murmuring a spell under her breath. Under her palm it twisted and reformed itself as a bokken.

"Still playing with wooden swords?" Gohei mocked.

"Not playing at all," Kaoru replied coolly. "This is more than enough for me to defeat you with." Her power was limited her transformations had never been particularly powerful. Kaoru could remake things but only if what she was making something into was made of the same material of the original.

Wood or steel, if she had to be honest with herself she was more comfortable with a bokken than a katana in her hands. As she picked it up and gave it a tentative swing she felt confidence spread through her. Perfectly balanced, it was nearly molded to her hand. This had been a good spell.

Shaking her bangs out of her eyes she turned toward Gohei and raised her bokken. "Ready."

Ready.

She was ready.

All the doubts and fears fell away as she fell into the familiar stance, her gaze narrowed and focused on Gohei.

Ready.

She watched him come toward her in heightened, crystal-sharp focus. He was moving slow – almost a lumbering sort of charge and she caught every motion that he made coming at her.

Ready.

She raised her bokken to parry his katana.

As his katana touched her bokken there was a click in her head and things speeded up. Blurred and became less distinct. And all she could do was act and react.

Gohei was slower than she was but stronger and with more muscle.

The shock of their swords meeting numbed her arm up to her shoulder and she felt her grip on the bokken weaken. No, she tightened her grip on it by sheer will.

Things were moving faster now and her thoughts couldn't keep up.

Block.

Parry.

Thrust.

Side-step to avoid being impaled.

She saw Gohei's hand move, reaching for his wakizashi and suddenly she was spinning and moving trying to avoid both his katana and wakizashi while at the same time trying to get in her own blows.

It was futile.

She was being forced back and unable to attack. Had not her bokken been spell-infused Kaoru knew it would have shattered a long time ago. Even so her magic was waning and it was only a matter of time before the spell on it too weakened and the bokken broke.

The sound of ripping fabric jolted her out of the haze she had fallen into. Pain flared across her ribs and she stumbled away, her back hitting the wall.

Gohei's wakizashi was edged in red. Blood. Her blood.

"You see little girl," Gohei was saying and with effort she followed his words. "It is futile. It was always futile. And now you are going to die." He said this matter of factly but his eyes were hooded and a cruel smile curled his lips. He seemed to savor every word he was saying to her. Relishing the prospect of her death.

Gohei's katana came at her again and Kaoru blocked.

Pain came a split second after the sound of something snapping. Her bokken fell the ground halved in two by Gohei's katana. Her magic had reached its limit and she felt that spark inside of her sputter and then die out.

Pain flared in her shoulder and then numbed it, Kaoru turned her head and saw the wakizashi sticking in her shoulder. Blood was staining the fabric of her shirt and as he jerked it out of her vision swam and her knees buckled.

"You are going to die," Gohei said and Kaoru almost believed him.

She would die. It had been foolish to come after him. What had she been thinking? She would die and Kenshin would be sad. And Battousai… Battousai would spend the rest of his life alone and in the dark…

She closed her eyes and braced herself as the katana fell toward her.

The scent of ginger filled her nose and she felt strong arms wrap around her.

'I'm sorry,' she wanted to say but her tongue was tied. 'Because my death is going to hurt you. Both of you. I'm sorry.'

So she waited for the pain and the death that would follow.

It never came.

Cautiously she opened her eyes and blackness met her gaze. Something was vibrating against her ear. It took her a moment to understand what she hearing. It was an angry sound. An enraged one. Somewhere between a growl and a snarl. The arms around her tightened and something soft brushed against her cheek. Tentatively Kaoru raised a hand and twined the strands of hair between her fingers.

"Battousai?"

"Yes," his voice was a snarl and she barely kept herself from flinching. His arms tightened around her and she suddenly found it hard to breathe. Still snarling he buried his face against her neck. He was so tense she half expected him to snap.

"Battou-"

"What were you thinking?" She had never heard him sound so angry before.

"I wasn't-" Kaoru started but he interrupted her.

"You weren't." The snarl was back in his voice.

Kaoru gritted her teeth at the tone of his voice, "Gohei-" she tried again.

"Will be taken care of," there was something in his voice that made Kaoru think that saner people than she was, would be fleeing right now. If you were smart you would run.

Kaoru couldn't run.

He still hadn't let go of her.

"Battousai…."

"He hurt you," he probed her side with careful fingers but even that touch had her sucking in a breath. Her shoulder throbbed and she bit her lip to keep down a whimper. She smacked at his hands but he didn't let go of her. His arms tightened around her briefly in a hug that was careful of her injuries.

"Don't move." His words were a command and she found herself placed on the ground.

As the darkness that was Battousai moved away Kaoru's eyes widened at the sight in front of her.

Gohei stood stock, still frozen in place. In mid-swing with his katana still raised to strike, he had been frozen.

Time had been stopped…

Battousai had stopped time….

And as the darkness that was he moved toward Gohei the spell faded and time resumed.

The effect was almost comical. Gohei jumped and looked around, his gaze going through the darkness that was Battousai and landing on Kaoru. He shook his head several times and blinked. Confusion, puzzlement and anger all darted across his face.

Kaoru would have laughed had the situation been different.

Kaoru wasn't sure if Battousai was as invisible to people as Kenshin was but she could nearly feel the anger that radiated off of him.

Gohei must have been denser than she had originally given him credit for if he couldn't feel it.

Suddenly Gohei jerked, his eyes landing on the darkness that made up Battousai.

"What?" He started to say but stopped.

Battousai was a black blur. She caught a flash of the silver of a blade amidst the blackness and there was a spray of blood, stark against the blackness, and an echoing scream by Gohei.

Once again had the situation not been as serious as it was, Kaoru would have found it comical. Gohei was spinning in circles at a total at what to do. Battousai was a blur and Kaoru could barely keep up with him. Occasionally she caught the flash of red amid the darkness, a brief flicker of gold and glint of silver.

He was playing with Gohei, Kaoru realized after a moment. All the wounds he was inflicting upon him painful but not life-threatening. He was making sure Gohei hurt. He was making him pay.

A part of Kaoru wanted to say this was wrong. But another part of her watched with something close to happiness stirring in her gut. This was the man who had killed her father's students, injured him, burned down her dojo, destroyed her life… He should suffer. For all of those he had caused pain… he should suffer.

Suffer yes, pay for what he had done…

But she didn't want Battousai to kill him.

She didn't want Gohei's death on her soul. Her father wouldn't have wanted that. His sword style had not been one made for killing. He wouldn't have wanted the person that had hurt him to die.

What would he have wanted? Kaoru closed her eyes and sighed.

What would he have wanted? She thought.

He would have wanted Gohei to know what it felt like. To endure what he had endured. Karma… her father had believed in karma…

Gohei fell to the ground, a whimper working its way up his throat. He was bleeding, Kaoru noted. Painful wounds but they wouldn't kill him.

"Stop," Kaoru hadn't even realized she'd spoken until she heard the words echo in the air.

Battousai paused; she caught the glint of silver, a brief flare of light against the edge of the sword he carried.

"Don't kill him," she murmured.

"Then what would you have me do?" Battousai's voice was flat and cold and she shivered. "He hurt you. He hurt your father."

"Yes," Kaoru said softly. "He did."

"And you would let him live?" Disbelief colored his tone.

"I want to make him pay… I don't want him dead," Kaoru replied.

"Pay," Battousai said softly. She could almost feel his eyes on her, lingering on the blood that stained her shirt and she felt her wounds throb in response. She tried to suppress a wince but knew he had caught it.

"Yes, he should pay," he agreed with her, his voice softening.

At his feet Gohei whimpered again.

"You destroyed her father's hand," Battousai's voice had turned cold. "He could never pick up a sword again. You should have the same fate."

His sword flashed and Kaoru closed her eyes. The sound of bones crunching rang in the air. Gohei's scream was horrible and she clamped her hands over her ears but it didn't block the noise.

Gohei would never use a sword again.

There was another crack and thud and Gohei went silent.

There was the scent of ginger and she opened her eyes and let her hands fall away from her ears. Battousai blocked her view, Kaoru was glad. She didn't want to see. There was no sound from Gohei and she felt her stomach clench at the implications of it.

Battousai had promised not to kill him…

"He's not dead," Battousai's voice was tight. "I did not kill him."

"He's alive?" Kaoru asked softly.

"Yes," the word was bitten off. "He lives but he will suffer for the rest of his life."

Kaoru bit her lip. She had made that decision. Gohei would pay… He would suffer as those he had harmed had suffered. He would suffer… she had made the decision that he would suffer for the rest of his life…

There was a touch at her shoulder and she jerked herself out of her thoughts.

"Stop that," Battousai said firmly. "You did the right thing. He can't hurt anyone. He will never hurt another person."

"But-" she stopped as he placed a finger against her lips.

"Let's get you home. You're still bleeding." Kaoru found herself scooped up, careful of her shoulder and side.

"Hold still," Battousai murmured into her hair.

Darkness enveloped both of them.

When she opened her eyes she found herself back in her room. The lights were dimmed enough to throw everything into shadow. Battousai was an even darker shadow against the darkness and her eyes could not penetrate it.

"Hold still," he murmured again and Kaoru found herself lowered carefully onto her bed.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I'm taking a look at your injuries," Battousai replied. He tugged gently at the hem of her shirt. "You need to take your shirt off."

Kaoru's only reply was a squeak.

"Kaoru," Battousai's voice was soft. "You're still bleeding, I need to see how badly you are hurt. The shirt needs to go and once the blood starts to dry it'll hurt to take it off."

Kaoru twitched. "Fine," she sighed softly.

"Hold still," Battousai said.

"You tell me to hold still again and I'm going to hit you," Kaoru replied, her voice muffled as he peeled her shirt off, being mindful of her wounded shoulder and side.

"You can hit me later," Battousai replied. She a heard a hiss of air between clenched teeth. Stupid darkness, she couldn't see anything!

"How is it?" She asked.

"I should have hurt him more." He yelped as she smacked him, using her uninjured arm. "Its large and bleeding but doesn't appear too deep." He said after a minute.

"And the bad news?" Kaoru asked.

"You are never allowed outside by yourself again."

Kaoru opened her mouth to protest but closed it as her side twinged.

"Kaoru… do you realize how reckless you were behaving?" Battousai asked.

"I… Yes," she admitted. "But it was Gohei…"

"I understand," Battousai replied. "Believe me I do."

Kaoru nodded silently.

"This is the last time I'll ask you to hold still," Battousai touched her shoulder gently.

"Okay – What are you doing!?" Kaoru yelped as lowered his mouth to her shoulder.

"Healing you," Battousai murmured, pressing his lips to the wound. There was a tingling sensation running underneath her skin and Battousai pulled away. A soft glow started where her wounds were and Kaoru watched as the blood dried and disappeared, the wounds pulling together and knitting themselves up. After a moment the glow faded and she raised a tentative finger to unblemished, whole skin.

"Um," she blinked. "Thank you."

The bed dipped and she heard him pad across the floor, there was the sound of her drawers opening and he returned a moment later with a shirt that she slipped on. It was long sleeved and she rolled it back several times to free her hands.

"Better?" Battousai asked.

"Yes," Kaoru nodded and raked her bangs out of her eyes, wincing as her fingers caught on tangles. She was a mess… great. Even though the blood was gone, she didn't feel clean and she ached slightly, the spell, magic, whatever Battousai had done hadn't quite taken care of completely.

It was probably too late for a shower as well and she'd more than likely fall asleep and drown in the bathtub if she attempted to take a bath.

She sighed.

"Come here," Battousai murmured and pulled her into his lap.

"What?" She asked and then sighed as he pushed her hair off her neck, rubbing at the tense muscles of her neck. They loosened at his touch and she let her eyes flutter closed. There was a tug at her hair ribbon and her hair was unbound and she felt him brush at the tangles found there.

"What are you doing?" Her voice sounded sleepy and she snuggled closer. He was warm and very comfortable. She found herself relaxing even more. She was going to fall asleep on him if he kept this up.

There was a soft thump as he dropped the hairbrush he was brushing her hair with. His arms wrapped around her tightly and she felt him become suddenly tense, burrowing his head against her neck.

"Battousai?" Kaoru bit her lip.

"Don't you ever do that again," his voice made her stomach clench.

"I… I won't," Kaoru said softly, carefully.

If anything he became even tenser against her. Still not letting go of her, Battousai laid down on the bed, her sprawled over him and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Kaoru sighed softly and tucked her head underneath his chin. She could hear his heart beating, a steady reassuring thump and after a moment he finally relaxed.

They were both silent for several moments and Kaoru concentrated on his heartbeat, part of her shirt had rode up and he stroked the exposed skin with his thumb.

She was there.

Safe.

Here.

With him.

"I'm not going to leave you," Kaoru finally broke the silence.

"You promise?"

"Yes."

Kaoru found herself underneath him. His fingers twined tightly in hers. He was looking at her. She could feel his eyes burning through the darkness that surrounded them. She raised her eyes and met his squarely. His hand loosened and thumb stroked across her wrist gently.

He lowered his head to rest his forehead against hers and sighed softly. "Thank you," he murmured, almost too soft to hear.

Kaoru didn't reply. There was nothing she could say to that. She raised her free hand and tugged at his hair and pulled his mouth down to hers. His kiss was unlike any she had received from him before. There was desperation to it, a possessive edge that surprised her, and she found herself yielding to it.

"I'm not going to lose you." Battousai said softly. It was a promise. There was a tingle across her skin and the taste of magic on her tongue. When she opened eyes that she didn't remember closing the air suddenly seemed brighter, lighter. The darkness had faded away if ever so slightly.

Something had happened. Kaoru just didn't know what.

"You won't lose me," she replied softly.

Promised.


	8. Chapter 8

Kaoru sighed as she watched the first few flakes of snow drift past the window. They spun slightly as they fell, caught on the wind, and then continued their downward journey in a lazy sort of spiral.

It was the first snow.

The first snow of the season.

She pressed her forehead against the window and sighed again. It felt cold against her forehead, chilled by the winter air, and a faint mist appeared on the glass where she breathed.

It had been a bit more than a week since the Gohei incident.

She hadn't been let out of the palace since and for the first three days, Kenshin hadn't allowed her to wander around or to explore new rooms in the palace nor had he allowed her to be alone either. She'd almost thought that he would follow her into the bathroom, but instead he had parked himself outside of the door and waited for her. She woke up with him sleeping at the foot of her bed and he followed her around all day, not giving her a moment to herself until darkness fell

Battousai hadn't appeared in the past few days and Kaoru was starting to worry. She hadn't said anything to Kenshin, but a part of her was concerned. If something had happened to him Kenshin would have told her.

Of that she was sure.

But his unexplained absence was worrying. Unable to sleep she read during the night and if anything that made her even more restless. Being able to talk to Battousai would relieve some of the boredom. She liked Kenshin she really did but his mother henning the past few days was grating at her nerves.

There wasn't anything she could get into during the day with him watching her, she wanted to say to him but didn't. In the house there was nothing that could harm her. No one that could hurt her, not that Kenshin would have let them. And there was no Gohei around either. His concern really wasn't warranted and the forced confinement was starting to make her antsy.

Antsy…

Confined…

Restless…

Kaoru wanted to be outside.

She needed to be outside.

She was slowly going stir crazy…

The longer she was stuck inside the more she needed to be outside.

That feeling had slowly intensified especially in the last day or so as the sunlight had started to fade and the sky had become cloudy and turned an opaque shade of white-grey that promised the arrival of snow.

When she had woken this morning a fireplace had appeared where previously there had been none and a small fire had been crackling inside of its hearth, warming the room and chasing away the chill. Her sheets had too turned from the lighter ones made of cotton fabric that she had been used to, to a thicker, warmer weave that caught her body heat and held it.

The creak of the door opening brought Kaoru out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to see Kenshin pad into the room.

'Lunch is ready,' he said, his voice a whisper, as soft as the glide of his feet across the floor.

"I'm not really hungry," Kaoru replied, pulling her legs up to her chest and leaning back in her chair and silently counting the falling flakes of snow.

'Kaoru,' Kenshin sighed, and she heard his stride change to something deliberate, the click of his nails against the wooden floor ringing in the air as he padded across the floor and over to where she sat.

"It's the first snowfall," she replied. Silently in her head counted twelve, tracing the path of its fall with a fingertip as another snowflake blew past the window.

'It is,' Kenshin agreed and settled down next to her.

Kaoru smiled down at him and dug her fingers into the fur between his ears scratching. At her fingertips there was the contrasting warmth of his fur and chill of winter, despite herself Kaoru shivered and pulled her hand away from the window, fingers winding his soft fur around them tightly.

Kenshin sighed, eyes sliding shut and she shook her head at him, a brief smile flashing across her face. Her fingers tightened and then relaxed and she settled back in her chair and returned to counting in her head as the snowflakes continued to fall. A few moments passed and suddenly they began to fall faster and faster so that she could barely keep up with them. The numbers in her head faded and she could only watch as they whirled and danced through the air as they fell, their movements faster and at the same time more graceful and more violent than before.

A storm was coming.

The first snowfall… the first storm of the season…

A lump grew in her throat and she swallowed around it.

The first snowfall had always been special for her and her father…

They would make hot chocolate and sit at the window and count the snowflakes. Snow maidens tears, her father had called the snowflakes and he would put some logs into the fireplace and they would drink hot chocolate and he would tell her stories.

Good memories…

"Do we have any hot chocolate?" She asked, her voice sounded thick and she swallowed once more.

'We should,' Kenshin replied. His head tilted back and he eyed her in a considering manner. 'But you need to eat something first. You didn't eat breakfast this morning and its lunchtime already.'

"I just haven't been hungry lately," Kaoru replied.

'Because of what happened with Gohei?' Kenshin asked.

"Partly," Kaoru admitted.

'And what else?' Kenshin asked.

"Nosy kitty," Kaoru clucked her tongue and he made a face at her.

'Kaoru…' Kenshin shoved his head under her hand and she scratched his ears obligingly.

"I'm fine, Kenshin." Kaoru said. "I'm fine. Gohei got what he deserved, Daddy was avenged... I'm fine…Really…fine…"

'You don't sound fine,' he insisted.

"It's just… odd to have something that was such a part of you no longer a part of you… Gohei hurt my family so much. He destroyed my life. Now he's got what he deserved and I don't have that part of me… That little bit of me that was dedicated to stopping him… It's… at rest and now I have a void where it was…" She bit her lip. "That didn't make much sense did it?"

'It did,' Kenshin replied. 'You probably thought it would never happen and now that it has you don't know what to do with yourself."

Kaoru blinked at him and it took a moment for her to be able to reply, even so all she could manage was a soft "… yeah."

'C'mon,' Kenshin gave her hand a nudge. 'Let's eat lunch.'

Kaoru stared at him.

'Things like this are better handled on a full stomach.' Kenshin said knowledgeably. 'Besides we do have hot chocolate.'

"You really are addicted to chocolate," Kaoru shook her head at him.

'Of course not,' Kenshin replied innocently. 'I just enjoy it, that's all.'

"A little too much I'd say," Kaoru grinned at him and got off her chair all the same. If she didn't get up he would force her to. "Lead the way Kenshin. I might as well get to the kitchen on my own two feet but I don't put it past you to drag me there bodily should I refuse."

'I wouldn't do that,' Kenshin protested. 'Bribe you maybe but drag? Never.'

"Bribe with hot chocolate," Kaoru said.

'Hmm,' was Kenshin's noncommittal reply.

Kaoru laughed and shook her head. "So what does the kitchen have made for us for lunch today?"

'Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches,' Kenshin replied and started walking; pausing after a few steps to make sure Kaoru was coming after him. He waited until she was beside him before resuming, his stride shortening to match hers.

"And hot chocolate?" Kaoru prompted with a grin.

'Chocolate chip cookies too,' Kenshin answered, jaws parting briefly showing a quick flash of white teeth. Kaoru shook her head silently. Chocolate addicted kitty…

"Wonder if they have anything to make s'mores with," Kaoru mused, head turning to eye the merrily-lit fireplace as they left the room and headed into the hallway. While chocolate chip cookies had been their tradition there had been several times when the baking had gone wrong or they hadn't had the ingredients needed and so her father had substituted s'mores for their customary chocolate chip cookies.

'We could see,' Kenshin offered.

"That we will do then," Kaoru nodded.

'But only after you eat lunch.'

...Like there was any chance of it not happening with him around… Kaoru half-expected him to feed her lunch himself. Or stare at her while she ate. Perhaps even sit on her to make sure she did eat and didn't flee the kitchen.

"Fine," Kaoru sighed. "Lead the way."

Inside the kitchen Kaoru found tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches already on the table waiting for them. The chocolate chip cookies too. Kaoru felt her lips twitch into a grin at the red and green sprinkles strewn across the top. Chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles… She didn't know whether the palace was trying to be festive or cheer her up.

Probably both.

She sat down and with Kenshin eyeing her closely, ate. The soup was good and tasted fresh. Kaoru had never really liked tomato soup as a child. It was probably due to the fact that it came from a can and always had a faintly metallic taste to it.

Through the window she could still see the snow falling. Out of habit she started counting the snowflakes as they fell. One… Three… Eight… Fifteen…

Still counting, she alternated between sips of soup and bites of her grilled cheese sandwich, all too aware of Kenshin watching her. Finally after several moments she set her spoon down and looked at him, her eyes meeting his.

"What?"

Kenshin didn't reply, and continued to watch her, his expression was unreadable.

"What is it Kenshin?" Kaoru asked. "If you don't tell me why you're staring at me I'm going to bop you on the nose with my spoon.

His jaws parted quickly into a grin and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Kenshin, what is it?" She reached over and grabbed her spoon. Her voice may have been joking but the thread wasn't an idle one.

'It's nothing…' he murmured. His voice was very soft and he seemed to be thinking about something. 'You hate being cooped up.'

"Yeah I do," Kaoru blinked at him wondering what was going on.

'It is unfair to you to keep you locked up,' Kenshin continued and his tone of voice was apologetic. There was a look in his eyes that kept Kaoru from replying. A lump built in her throat and she suddenly had an idea of what was going through his mind. They were keeping her locked up… confined… caged… he and Battousai both knew the feeling all too well…

And now they were doing the exact same thing to her…

She set her spoon down and rubbed his ears lightly. "I'm not angry at you. You probably don't like it any better than I do.'

Kenshin ducked his head, 'no,' he agreed softly.

She gave his ears another rub and he raised his head, eyes meeting hers. 'After… After the snow finishes falling… would you like to go outside? For a little while?'

Kaoru recognized an apology when she heard it and nodded. "A little while would be nice."

Something like relief showed in Kenshin's eyes. 'After the snow finishes falling we will go out for a little bit.'

"Sounds good to me," Kaoru nodded.

Her soup and sandwich were finished and she pushed her plate away. A second later it disappeared as the kitchen took it. As she reached over for a sprinkle-topped chocolate chip cookie a mug of hot chocolate appeared at her elbow, she took two cookies and gave one to Kenshin before taking a bite of her own.

Hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, snow, and the promise of being allowed outside. Things were looking up.

She ate as slowly as she could, noticing that Kenshin was eating at the same rate as she was.

He was probably trying to see how long it would take before she started fidgeting or perhaps it was an attempt to make her pull her hair out. Kaoru set her cookie down carefully and took a sip of her hot chocolate.

She could be patient.

She would be patient.

Something told her that grabbing hold of Kenshin's ear and dragging him outside with her would not be a good tactic to use to get what she wanted.

So Kaoru concentrated on her chocolate chip cookies and hot chocolate and ignored Kenshin.

'Ready?'

Kaoru jerked. "What?"

'Are you ready?' Kenshin asked.

Kaoru glanced to see his cookie had vanished. He had even cleaned his whiskers free of cookie crumbs.

She blinked and then nodded, 'ready!' She got up from the chair and hastily gulped down the last of her hot chocolate and shoved the remaining cookie into her mouth, ignoring Kenshin's snort of amusement.

Tricky cat, she should have known he'd do something like that.

As long as she was allowed to go outside it would be fine. That was all that mattered anyway.

….

Kaoru fell back into the snow with a sigh as Kenshin plopped down beside her. The ends of his whiskers, snow dusted, she noted and there were smears of snow across his back and sides from their snowball fight. Kaoru grabbed some powdery snow and tossed it at him, catching him in the face.

She giggled as he shook his head and blinked at her.

"Sorry," she grinned at his expression. "I couldn't resist."

Kenshin snorted and rubbed the snow from his face with a paw.

"I'll stop now," Kaoru promised, reaching over to give his ears a rub.

Kenshin shook his head and inched closer, placing his head on her shoulder. Kaoru yelped as his cold nose touched her neck.

"I deserved that didn't I?" Kaoru asked.

'Yes, you did,' Kenshin agreed.

"Snow-kitty," Kaoru teased softly.

Kenshin just blinked at her, deciding not to comment on her appearance. Kaoru was certain her nose and cheeks were red and her hair was doing its best to escape from the ponytail she had put it in and was curling slightly from the snow that had melted and wetted it.

'Want to go inside?' Kenshin asked, sitting up and giving a quick shake to rid himself of the last of the snow that clung to his fur.

Nope," Kaoru said cheerfully.

'…You're going to be half-frozen before you let me drag you inside aren't you…'

"Yep," Kaoru grinned. After being stuck inside the palace for the past couple of days, being outside, no matter how cold felt wonderful.

'Not even if I promise hot chocolate and a warm fireplace?' Kenshin asked.

"Let me get half-frozen first and then I will happily let you drag me back inside," Kaoru promised.

'Okay then,' Kenshin conceded.

"Not yet though," Kaoru picked up some snow and let it trickle through her gloved fingers, watching it fall back to the ground.

Kenshin just inched closer and Kaoru leaned against him, scooping up the snow into her hands and letting it fall back down every so often.

Kenshin shook his head in amusement and she turned her head and smiled at him. "I like snow."

'I can see that,' he said easily. 'Are you sure you're not cold?'

"I'm fine," Kaoru told him. "You don't mind staying out here?"

'No I-' He went suddenly tense against her, his head snapping up and looking around. Whatever he was about to say was forgotten.

"Kenshin?"

'Stay here,' all the humor was gone from his voice as he rose to his feet. 'Don't move. Just say here.'

"Is something wrong?" She asked him.

'I don't know yet,' he murmured softly. 'Just don't move from here. I will be back as soon as I can.' Then he turned and was gone, leaving her staring after him in confusion.

What had that been about? She wondered. She quashed firmly the urge go after him. He had told her to stay put. So she would.

A few minutes passed and there was no sign of Kenshin. The sun was starting to set, Kaoru saw and glanced upward, noting the first few stars beginning to appear in the sky as the light was fading. A wind kicked up suddenly and she shivered as the gust cut through her jacket.

What had Kenshin been so worked up over? There was nothing in the palace or the grounds that was dangerous.

A shadow suddenly fell across her and she turned her head, expecting it to be Kenshin.

It wasn't.

It was a woman.

She was wearing a white kimono with an obi of some dark color that was lost the rapidly fading light. Her hair was black and sleek, falling to her waist and Kaoru felt suddenly self-conscious with her hair loose and falling haphazardly around her face.

Her face was pale with dark eyes that looked nearly black in the light and a touch of red at her lips. She merely watched Kaoru for a moment before one elegant eyebrow rose.

"Hello?" It came out more of a question than anything else as Kaoru got to her feet, dusting the snow off of her. "Who are you?"

The woman didn't reply, merely tilting her head to the side and studying her silently with those dark eyes. An expression Kaoru almost would have called amusement passed over her features.

Kaoru swallowed and merely asked again as calm as before, "who are you?"

"Who am I?" There was a definite note of amusement in her voice.

"Yes," Kaoru said softly. "Who are you?"

There was something she disliked about her that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps it the aura she had, thinly veiled amusement, the kind that came from disdain. Those almost too perfect features. The way she looked at her and made her feel gangly and awkward – a muddy little girl with holes at the knee…

No matter the reason Kaoru didn't like her.

"Tomoe," she said finally.

Tomoe.

Tomoe…

The name meant nothing to Kaoru and it must have shown on her face because she laughed. It was a pretty laugh yet derisive at the same time and Kaoru balled her hands into tight fists and took a deep breath against the annoyance rising within her.

"What is your name?" Tomoe asked.

Kaoru paused.

Names… names were more than names. Names held power… Something was telling her not to say anything and even she was puzzled when she found herself responding before she had even given the thought to do so –

"My name is Kaoru."

"Kaoru…" The smile that curled the corners of her mouth was not a pleasant one. "It is a fitting name for one such as you." Those nearly black eyes took her in and if anything the amusement in them grew stronger.

Kaoru was really starting to dislike her.

"Why are you here?" She asked. When are you leaving? went unvoiced.

"I'm visiting," Tomoe said softly. "Aren't you going to invite me inside? It is cold here."

"No," Kaoru said and blinked, shaking her head slightly. For some reason her thoughts felt hazy. "I like… being out here just fine thank you."

"No?" Tomoe echoed softly, those near-black eyes of hers were staring into Kaoru's and she fond that she could not look away. "You will not invite me inside?"

"I... I won't," Kaoru told her. Her fist tightened, nails biting into her palms sharply and the shock of pain chased some of the fog in her mind. She took a step back and shook her head.

"You won't?" Tomoe's voice was biting.

Kaoru jerked and it suddenly felt as if lead had settled into her limbs. She couldn't move. She had been frozen.

"You won't?" Tomoe said again. She had moved closer and Kaoru couldn't look away from her eyes, something cold settled in Kaoru's stomach at Tomoe's approach and was spreading through her.

"Won't…" Kaoru managed between clenched teeth.

The touch of fingers against the side of her face would have made her flinch had she been able to move.

"Won't you," Tomoe breathed. A finger tapped sharply against Kaoru's cheekbone, bringing tears to her eyes.

The sound of snarling had Tomoe whirling around.

Kenshin looked as furious as Kaoru had ever seen him. His lips were pulled back in a snarl exposing long fangs. The line of his body was tense and he was striding with a controlled careful step that told Kaoru he was just barely restraining himself from leaping at Tomoe.

'Get away from her,' the growl that rumbled from his chest raised the hairs on the back of Kaoru's neck and his eyes were flashing.

"I'm not doing anything," Tomoe told him. She glanced over at Kaoru and cocked her head questioningly. "Am I doing something to you… Kaoru?"

"She's…" There was a roaring in Kaoru's ears and it made it hard to hear the words she was speaking. "She is… She is…" was she doing something or was she not doing something? "She is…"

The third time Kaoru felt something inside of her snap and some of the ice freezing her faded away. The roaring in her ears faded and the fog in her mind lifted slightly, things felt clearer, more in focus.

Fur grazed her fingertips and she blinked. From that light touch warmth spread, chasing away the ice and Kaoru sighed. Her knees buckled slightly and she leaned against Kenshin, digging her fingers into his fur.

"Okay…" She murmured. "I'm okay…" She was okay now.

Kenshin didn't say anything, his attention was still focused on Tomoe but she felt him shift his weight so that he was pressed against her more firmly. He was still growling and she felt it thrum through her, continuing to chase away the cold.

"Hello Kenshin," Tomoe said.

'Tomoe,' his voice could have cut glass.

"So hostile," she tsked. "I thought you would have been happy to see me."

'I am never happy to see you,' he replied.

Her laugh set Kaoru's teeth on edge.

"Why would that be?" She asked.

Kaoru peered up at her through her bangs, Tomoe was smiling and it set her teeth on edge. Her smile did not reach to her eyes; they were black, cold and flat. She crouched there on the ground with her fingers still digging into Kenshin's fur, continuing to chase the cold away. Beside her, Kenshin was tense, taut, body vibrating with a silent growl.

What was the history between them? Kaoru wondered but bit her tongue. Now was not the time for questions.

'You know exactly why I am not happy to see you,' Kenshin responded. It seemed like it had taken a while for Kenshin to respond, Kaoru thought. But that had not been the case. Her thoughts still felt thick and sluggish and she had been so lost in them, that time had felt as if it had slowed down, lengthening the time between Tomoe's question and Kenshin's answer.

Tomoe tsked again softly. 'So much time has passed; I thought you would have gotten over it by now.'

'No.' Kenshin's reply was short and clipped and she felt his weight shift against her. If he tensed up anymore he'd snap. She dug her fingers into his fur sharply and his head swung around. The look in his violet eyes softened slightly and she managed a smile at him.

The sound of Tomoe's laughter snapped her out of it and they both turned and looked at her.

"How cute," she smiled. "You two are positively adorable. The kitty and the little girl… The beast –"

'Enough!' Kenshin snapped. 'You know the terms. You know what must be done. I will not allow you to tamper with them.'

"Oh I know the terms. I know them very well kitty-cat." Tomoe's smile faded slightly. "Was it not I that set them forth?"

'You did.' Kenshin's voice was bitter. 'I have abided by them and played by your rules.'

"So you have." Tomoe nodded and her voice was unexpectedly soft. "So you have. But for how much longer I ask?"

'As long as is needed,' Kenshin replied stiffly.

"We shall see."

Tomoe's gaze fell on Kaoru and it was as if they both realized that she was there. Their conversation was puzzling and had so many layers Kaoru couldn't pick through them. They shared a history and it was an unpleasant one, by the sounds of it.

Something had happened.

Something…

Hadn't Battousai or Kenshin said something once?

Battousai…

It was dark where was Battousai…?

She shivered and looked at Kenshin. In the fading light his form seemed to waver and twist. His eyes caught the dying light with a glint of gold mixed with the violet and she blinked.

When had she ever thought of him as a cat? His eyes… his eyes were human… Almost too human…

Her head hurt and her thoughts were turning to mush once more. The warmth of Kenshin pressed against her was no longer chasing the cold away and she could feel it flooding her.

"Cold…" She managed between teeth that were chattering.

Tomoe's laugh cut like ice and she flinched. "Look to the little girl before she freezes into a block of ice Kenshin. I suggest you take care of her." There was a gust of wind and Tomoe wavered and between one blink and the next, vanished.

'Kaoru?'

Kaoru could feel him nudging her.

"C-cold," Her eyes were heavy.

'Kaoru?'

"Kaoru?!'

The darkness was warm and Kaoru fell into it.

…..

Waking up was hard.

So hard.

Kaoru didn't want to wake up. It was warm here. She was safe here. There was no cold. No black eyed witches with smiles of ice and laughter that cut.

"Kaoru?"

With effort, Kaoru pried her eyes open. Darkness met her vision.

Dark… She blinked again. Her head still hurt and it didn't appear that her ability to think had improved much.

At least she was warm.

"Kaoru?" There was a touch against her shoulder and with a start she realized that she was not wearing clothes.

"What happened?" A semi-coherent thought at last.

"You were frozen."

Darkness… Voice in the darkness…

Battousai.

Where was Kenshin?

Battousai could only appear when it was dark, Kaoru remembered.

"Frozen?" She asked.

"A parting gift from Tomoe," Battousai's voice was tight.

Tomoe. The black eyed witch.

"Yes," Kaoru said softly. "It was cold."

"I am sorry," Battousai murmured. "Tomoe likes to play games."

"Why am I naked?" Kaoru was glad it was dark, her face was red from blushing.

"You were frozen. Even your clothes had been frozen." There was a shift in the bed and Kaoru heard him walk across the floor, then creak of hinges as the closet door was opened.

"Here."

She hadn't heard him walk back.

Kaoru reached out and took what he was offering automatically. Silk met her fingertips. It was a sleeping robe. Fumbling by touch she put it on herself and found the sash to tie it around her.

"Better?" Battousai asked.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes."

"Good," Battousai said. "I am sorry."

"It's…" Kaoru paused; she wasn't even sure what he was apologizing for. "It's… okay."

There was an intake of breath and the air felt heavy. "I wish I could tell you what was going on."

"You can't?" Kaoru asked.

"No," Battousai's voice was apologetic. "Unfortunately for this, you must remain in the dark."

"Literally," Kaoru said softly. "It's not fair."

"I know." He sighed. "But that is how things must be."

"Why?" Kaoru wanted to know.

"If I could change them I would, but I can't. I can only tell you this is how things must be."

Must be.

Had to be.

"Okay." Kaoru said.

"It's not okay."

"No, it's not." Kaoru agreed. "I'm just too tired to argue with you. But when I'm not believe me I will."

"I don't doubt it." There was the barest trace of humor evident in his tone.

"Tired…" Kaoru's eyelids were growing heavy once more and it was difficult to keep them open.

"Sleep Kaoru." Battousai said. "Go to sleep."

"Yes," Kaoru smothered a yawn.

Darkness when she was awake, darkness when she was asleep. There wasn't much difference.

Her eyes closed and she slept.

The last thing she remembered was the faintest touch against her hair.

"I'm sorry."

She might have imagined it.

She might have imagined everything. The snow and the black eyed witch whose name was Tomoe. The tiger with eyes that were all too human. The man who was hidden by darkness.

Dreams or reality. Real or imagined.

Darkness when she was awake darkness when she was asleep.

There wasn't much difference.

She just didn't know which held the most secrets.

Secrets…

That was her life now.

One big secret.

Things that she didn't know.

Things she wasn't allowed to know.

Things she must know.

Because if she didn't….

Kaoru felt the thought cling to her even as she gave herself up to sleep.

Something bad was going to happen.


End file.
